Coalburst took a deep breath in as she stood. Stumbling on her three hooves as RipEar released his magic from her body, she closed her eyes and splayed her legs slightly. She then steadied herself, gritted her teeth and, with slow and careful consideration, let her own aura encase her horn.

As she squinted her eyes open, Coalburst's mouth formed a grin as her power flowed steadily once more. She looked up to Blue with a beam and wagged her tail slightly as she wrapped her magic around a small rock. Levitating it around the room, she then stood taller and grinned.

"Yep! I'm ready!" she said before she turned her attention to RipEar. At the sight of his large scowl, however, she winced and slumped a little as her cheeky grin fell. "So... Uh, what's the plan?"

RipEar trotted past her so that he was stood at the front of the group. His horn still lit up for light, he then began to pull rocks away from the entrance, one at a time. "The queen'll be fragile and tired right now. It's summer; she'll be incubating her eggs still hopefully, getting ready to lay them. She won't have guards either, 'cos this is a new hive and all of her drones are young. Or, y'know, the things were young.

"Simply put, it won't take much to lure her out. Attack her and she'll come for us. If we can move fast enough"—He glanced to the filly and let his ears fall back—"we'll be able to get out of these tunnels fine with her on our tail. The village'll be waiting for us."

"Well, I don't know about you," Marchande supplied as she stepped out of the shadows, "but I'd rather wait it all out here. Celestia knows I'll never go fast enough; that bug'll eat me alive."

"Fine," RipEar said with a grunt as he pulled the last of the rocks away, "but everyone else's coming with me. We've got a job to do." Beginning to step outside, the stallion faltered as no one initially followed. They reacted somewhat unenthusiastically a moment later; only Coalburst showed the slightest hint of readiness. She pranced about on the spot and her horn flickered with literal sparks, though her lips were drawn tightly. Exhilaration was a powerful thing.

RipEar cracked his tail at her and grinned as the little filly jumped visibly. He then pushed her backwards and chuckled as he stepped in front, taking Roamer's gun in his magic as he did so. He checked it over quickly, his face a masked frown, and then poked his head out into the corridor.

The changelings which lurked a little way off noticed him immediately. Bright eyes snapped to attention as he moved and they jostled about immediately, scuttling forwards. Droplets of acid dripped from their maws and splashed the rock below; they burned small holes where they landed. It was enough to make RipEar shudder—but he stood taller at the same time, inspired to defeat these foes for the ponies behind him. Or, more accurately, for the only one who really meant anything to him.

To get a clear shot with half of his body hidden was tough. Not impossible, but too hard—especially when he had a good ten or twenty seconds before any changelings got uncomfortably close. So, with calculated speed so as not to further agitate the grubs, he threw himself out of the safe cave, raised the gun and took aim.

The pistol's roar filled the caves as the bullet whizzed through the air. RipEar, though certain of his abilities in easily accessed melée weapons, was far from confident now. Nevertheless, he was in no position to let Roamer be injured any further. Nor did he revel in the idea of leaving Blue's fate to another. She was, though he'd never tell her, much too important.

The first bullet didn't hit its mark, but it was nigh on impossible to miss in the sea of grubs. It instead dug a deep hole through a smaller changeling's side. As the creature screamed, the bullet popped out of its soft flesh and tore through the ear of a second victim. Both fell, writhing; disabled for now.

Coalburst jumped into action when she saw RipEar's struggles to work the gun. She lit her horn and cringed as flames burst up right before the front line of grubs. They were quick to recoil, of course, as the fire reached out to bite. But none could escape the scalding of Coalburst's flames, even once she withdrew her magic; they had enough fuel now—flesh—to keep them burning.

RipEar shuddered as the unpleasant but not entirely repulsive smell of barbecued meat—was he so hungry?—reached his muzzle. Gagging, he threw his head and let the pistol be taken back by Roamer as he pulled his dagger forth. He then fled with the other stallion at his side; he kept a good distance from Coalburst.

"C'mon," he yelled back as he bucked a lone changeling which slunk forwards from a crevice. It was thrown from its hooves, flung to the flames' vicious mercy. RipEar shuddered at its wail but pushed on. "The queen'll be close!"

Coalburst, still stood by her flames, grabbed Blue's ear with her magic and tugged. Sparing a glance to the wailing beasts quickly, she then launched herself forwards with a cry.

Blue yelped as she was pulled but reclaimed control quickly as she jerked her head away. Rearing, she then pushed off as strongly as she could with powerful hindquarters so that she soared above Coalburst. With the grubs on the floor all around, the air was a nicer place to be—even if it made her wings ache more.

The gallop—or fly, in Blue's case—was short, barely long enough to have drowned out the changelings' bellows. The queen, however, was still nowhere in sight—or so it had seemed initially. As the ponies drew closer and closer to a sheer drop off, however, she finally made herself known. Or, rather, a winged RipEar made himself known as he fluttered up from the pit. The ponies momentarily stood stunned as they glanced between the two. The resemblance, aside from the wings, was uncanny. But as the newcomer landed and licked his—no, her—lips, a smirk graced her strong masculine muzzle and sharp fangs were revealed in the dim green light of her own horn.

Her chunky legs elongated at first, the skin and fur falling away to reveal hairless, hole-ridden limbs. Then her body slimmed and, again, she molted; within a matter of seconds, her torso was that of an insect, her muzzle much finer and her horn suddenly double the size and viciously sharp. Her sickly emerald eyes were that of pinpricks, darting about as her mouth curved up into an insane smirk.

"Dinner!" she shrieked as she lunged forwards and howled with laughter as the ponies jerked back. A few small acid droplets splashed from her mouth. As they began to turn to run, however, she darted around them and screeched more as she blocked their path. She held her head high, a smirk on her muzzle. "I am Avispa, daughter of her holiness, sweet Chrysalis! That mare who shepherded our magnificent race to greatness, now gracing the earth with her splendour in death! I have her sacred blood flowing in my body cavity; this hive of mine I shall deliver to brilliance!"

The queen whooped as she reared up and threw her head. It was all the encouragement the bemused ponies needed; RipEar jerked his head immediately and shot beneath her foreleg, the others in close pursuit. Roamer took up the rear and skidded to a stop after a few seconds. He paused for a breath's time to see the changeling frozen in puzzlement before he let his pistol roar out. The bullet burst from the gun's muzzle with a scream as it whistled through the air. But the stallion wasted no time in waiting to see it meet its mark. The queen's furious bellow was proof enough of its success, though the sound notably lacked the nuances of a creature in pain.

Hearing Avispa's cry, Blue took to the air and winced. Whatever potion... concoction... thing she had made earlier had begun to wear off, she supposed; in fact, her whole body was starting to twinge. Her recently injured rear leg burned the worst.

She didn't dare check it out.

Instead, she focused her attention on the queen as she spun so that she flew backwards. Avispa hadn't been held up for long, it appeared; she now buzzed in the air, hissing as she followed unsteadily. With every few metres she flew, she crashed into the walls on either side. It was no wonder she was shaky; not only was she mad, but the blood which surged from her foreleg was surely weakening her—whether she recognised it or not. The wound, however, healed up incredulously quickly.

So that was how a changeling queen kept herself strong.

Blue crashed down to the ground again, gasping as she galloped next to RipEar. "She... She... She regenerates, Rip! Her leg... It healed up! Just like that!"

RipEar gulped but tried to grin at Blue nevertheless. He wrapped his magic around her as she began to fall back, her gallop too weak, then dragged her forwards. "Shut it, Blue!" he yelled, stealing a glance back. His ears snapped against his neck, but he continued to smirk. His eyes only slightly betrayed him. "She's just an insect; she'll go down."

RipEar looked behind himself again and his grin became more genuine as his eyes laid on the queen's bloodied but healed up leg. She flitted about more wildly now; she crashed increasingly often but zipped forwards faster too. She screeched as she met the stallion's gaze; for just a second, she dropped from the air and smashed against the cave floor.

"Get back here!" Avispa screamed before she stumbled to her hooves. As she did so, with a shout to the others to keep going, RipEar leapt from the track. He rebounded against the cave wall and landed behind the group to face the queen down. He began to gallop backwards immediately, slowly, as he thrust the knife forwards. It impaled the changeling's throat first, only a spurt of blood emerging. As she screamed and jerked it out, however, it healed almost instantaneously.

RipEar snarled as the queen shot towards him and smashed into his side. He went down without a chance to fight when his hooves slipped from underneath him.

The rock floor met RipEar with a sickening, spine-shuddering thud. He screamed and his eyes grew wide as his vision gave in. All he could see was white. His world was nothing but pain.

The madness ended quickly. As his eyes changed back to something resembling focus, he could just see Blue's struggles as she fought to escape from Roamer's grip. Her mouth was wide in an agonised cry. As her eyes locked on his, RipEar could see the desperation in the tears which stained her cheeks.

But he didn't see the changeling queen zipping towards him. Not until it was too late, not until she was on top of him. She pinned him to the ground and licked her fangs as she lowered her muzzle. Her pupils dilated further as acid splashed from her canines; RipEar snarled as his fur was burned. He thrashed about as he jerked his hips upwards. But the changeling was strong; she kept him down effortlessly and lowered her neck. She only paused when her muzzle, open in continuous low cackles, brushed up against his neck.

She bit down on a little loose skin. Drunken with sadistic pleasure, her eyes glimmered—especially at RipEar's scream. The acid coating her fangs was relentless; it seared a deep hole, revealing the red raw flesh.

The cool air was an unforgiving enemy, honing in on the exposed nerves. RipEar screamed again as pain erupted in his brain, his body spasming. He floundered back; his limbs flailed as he moved, but the unpredictable pain-induced jerks enough to free himself from the changeling. Then throwing his head, he jumped back and collapsed again, his legs unable to support himself through the pain.

The queen turned on him sharply and stalked forwards. Her wings flitted about as she stumbled in her pleasure-drunken stupor. She still licked her lips and giggled as she lit her horn. It sparked before it flowed with magic, the aura somewhat feeble.

More so than RipEar's, at least—which gave the stallion the strength to fight that he needed.

As he moved, his neck tore rational thoughts to barely interpretable strands. Even to pick up his knife was a feat of great effort and made him grunt and whimper. But he fought to keep his eyes open and pushed himself up to his hooves, focused on his prey which now attacked him, and struck with the blade wildly.

His slashes were uncoordinated and random as he stumbled from the queen. She was slower now, her wounds healing quickly but still hindering her very slightly, though she didn't look pained in the slightest. In fact, she looked merely put out—especially when she began to tug on the knife with her own magic.

RipEar hissed; his teeth squeaked as he yanked the dagger away from her. Stopping, he then slung the knife forwards and watched as it cleaved the skin around a hole in her leg. The blood flowed profusely, so much so that it soaked the floor below and sent her slipping. She crashed into the rocky wall and hissed as she paused for a second before she turned around. Stepping forwards, she then faltered only slightly before she crumpled to the floor.

RipEar frowned, his eyes still focused on her leg. The wound had healed again by now, but the blood... It was everywhere, on the floor and all over the changeling's skin. No normal incision would have bled that much, especially when every other attack had healed within the second. Which could mean only one thing; the regenerative queen had an Achilles' heel.

Avispa began to shudder slightly as RipEar carefully nudged her side. He hopped backwards—gasping as he did so—and then spun on the spot. His ears flicked all around and he shot away, barrelling through the tunnels.

Each step was agony, but there wasn't time to waste; the queen would surely kill him even more painfully if she caught up. And so he continued on, each hoof slamming against the cold ground with a small crash. His chest heaved with each inhale. As soon as his eyes laid upon the rest of his companions, he then yelled as loudly as he could. He didn't even regard Blue's squeals at the sight of him; he only threw her forwards—literally—with his magic as she flew back to catch him up.

"Get on with it!" he yelled and hissed as his neck burned even more powerfully. He glanced down at himself and winced; bile rose up in his throat at the sight. "She's down, but she'll be back with a vengeance!"

Stumbling as she hit the ground, Blue didn't attempt to fly back to RipEar's side. Her bruised hooves couldn't take the extra strain if her threw her again, she was sure.  Instead, she merely yelled back with a shaking voice, "How'd you get her down?"

"Those holes!" RipEar shouted back and whined a little as he galloped faster. Small tears glistened in his eyes but he refused to let them fall. "They bleed loads and heal a bit slower. It's the only way to really weaken her."

Blue whimpered as she nodded, tripping slightly. As she regained her hoofing, she gritted her teeth. She flared out her wings and used the burning muscles to keep herself upright as she made the tight turn around a corner. Then taking a breath, she fought the urge to vomit at the sight of the blackened bodies of the changeling grubs. She swallowed the bile and jumped into the air as she snapped out her wings—only to find herself crashing back down to the ground, her muscles too fatigued to keep her up.

With a gulp, Blue galloped a few more metres before leaping over the first pile of bodies. Coalburst and Roamer followed her lead close behind, RipEar heaving as he merely stumbled over the corpses. But there wasn't time to pause to clear the way for him; the queen would catch up soon. And so Blue continued to lead as she danced between charcoaled hooves and muzzles and flanks and hurdles the larger masses.

As she finally climbed over the last of the bodies, Blue let out a breath. Her heart pounded while she waited for a few seconds with pinprick eyes and pricked-up ears, more to regain her own breath than anything else. Once the others had all caught up, she shot off again. Her tail was clamped against her flanks as the queen's cries sounded behind.

"Get back here, roaches!" she screeched as she zipped around the corner. The ponies bolted faster immediately, RipEar shouting encouragement from behind as he fumbled forwards. He grunted and hissed as the the fast-moving air pummelled his exposed nerves and shattered his senses. But he could just manage a slow canter, each lurch close to—but just avoiding—being unbearable.

The changeling queen's screams at the sight of her slaughtered children were loud against the crashing of hooves on rocky ground. She then gave a roar and reared up as she shouted incomprehensible nonsense. She then zipped forwards, hardly even slowed as her body was bloodied against the wall; her face suddenly burned with rage, her fangs leaked streams of acid on the rock floor.

Blue snapped her eyes back as she galloped; her heart screamed with terror. RipEar, too, adopted a terrified expression, his mouth wide as he gasped for air, willing himself to run faster. But he couldn't ascend into a gallop, his neck so agonising that it was disabling.

"RipEar!" Blue cried as she reached her neck back to him. But, though her heart cried out for her to help him, her brain denied her permission. She couldn't quite manage to find the strength to turn around and help—not with the changeling right behind, at least. "Rip! C'mon!"

The stallion glanced back and balked, then pushed on faster. But despite his best efforts, he still fell back from the others.

Blue's eyes darted between the changeling queen and the prey, her breaths coming in gasps. The light at the end of the tunnel had finally appeared, but RipEar would be in Avispa's hooves long before he got outside; dead within a few seconds, even.

"Focus, Blue! Run!" The stallion's cry was laced with terror, high pitched and wavering. "I'm fine!"

Those were the famous last words which made Blue's heart burn with guilt. And so, with a quick glance back at Coalburst and Roamer who stampeded along behind, she shot to the side.

Avispa screeched at the sight and gave a high pitched wail as she shot forwards faster. Blue burst into tears without a moment's pause, whimpering and gasping as she ran towards RipEar. Her legs moved slowly, unenthusiastic to help even her first friend. But somehow she got behind him, ears deafened to his pleas as she shoved him forwards.

The queen was only a tail's distance away now. She nipped at Blue's flank; her teeth clanged against the silver. Acid trickled down to hiss at the pegasus' exposed legs and burned the fur away in a few small patches. It was agonising, enough to send her mind into turmoil as she bucked. When she felt her hooves connect with something soft, though, she let out a breath as the queen stumbled back and she could run forwards.

But her own movements were slow now, even the small amount of acid enough to weaken her. It was no wonder that RipEar was so hindered, his own neck a sickening state. But there wasn't time to stop, especially as the changeling rose to her hooves again, her face even more furious than it had been before. And so, despite all of her leg's best efforts to stop her, she lunged forwards so that her head crashed into RipEar's flank—an action which, later, she was sure she would be fantasising over.

The stallion was forced forwards with a yell. With the help, he managed a slow canter as they neared the exit. However, as they loped along slowly, Blue could feel her nerve shatter with every inch forwards; she bucked continuously when the queen began to nip again and yelped each time her own hooves touched down. And then, as she felt a muzzle brush against her fetlock, instinct kicked in and she screamed. She struck the queen with a powerful blow to the eyes as she spooked and fled without thought.

Avispa roared as she threw her head up. There was still no pain in the cry but the blood which spurted from her eyes was a sure indication of why she seemed so put out.

RipEar stumbled forwards continually. His eyes shone and his tail clamped as he watched Blue fleeing—and leaving him behind. But he soon gritted his teeth as pain reared its ugly head again and he nodded curtly at her actions. He was glad that she was getting out of the way, he reminded himself. That thought was hard to accept, however, as he lamely dodged the queen's blasts of magic. His heart ached at the abandonment—the very same abandonment which he had encouraged.

As he spied a momentary break in the queen's onslaught, RipEar made forwards and ambled through the gap between the beams of power. The magic burned his flank and ears, made him cry out in pain and gave Avispa a target to aim for. She fired blindly once again after a moment's pause; RipEar dove to the ground immediately so that he smashed his underbelly against the rock floor and lay there. With his breath held, he trembled as magic whizzed over his head again. Hastily he snagged a glance back and, as the queen stumbled away for a second and fired blindly in the wrong direction, he leapt up. He sped away unsteadily as the momentary chance arose.

Blood still leaking from her crushed eyes, Avispa spun to face the sound of heavy hoofsteps. She flashed forwards, a living missile. RipEar had only a second's notice to jump to the side as her breath brushed against his flank. But he didn't stop, still lurching along at the wall of the cave, right beside the queen. She bucked as she ran, able to hear the hoofsteps so nearby but not able to place them.

When the mouth to the cave was only twenty metres away, RipEar encased his body in his magic. Avispa felt the aura immediately and turned to snap at him—but then, in a heartbeat's time, he was gone, hurled from the cave with his own power.

RipEar screamed as pain encased his body again; his mind burned with a sudden migraine. It was only worsened as he crashed down to the ground and skidded across the rocky floor, shredding the skin of his uninjured side. He hissed as he then heaved himself down the slope; he only had a moment before the steep face took advantage and he was sent rolling down.

Finally coming to a stop at the base of the incline, RipEar gave a small groan as he kept his eyes closed. Then yelping as something warm began to nudge him, he snapped them open and scrambled back before he realised who it was.

Blue gave him a small smile before she took a small step forwards and nuzzled under his shoulder again. She gave a few small nickers as she inspected him over then gritted her teeth and heaved him up onto her back. He gave a small scream, able to do nothing but lay there begrudgingly and grumble as she began to haul him away. But, a second later, Avispa barrelled out of the tunnel, encased in flames of acid green.

No. The flames were literally acid, dissolving the rocks that they licked.

RipEar's eyes widened. "Oh, croup!" he yelled and then gasped as his neck burned again. It wasn't helped as Blue shot off, eyes wide and ears nonexistent against her neck. Taking a sharp turn to avoid one of the houses, she then threw him from her back and shot behind the building.

The queen approached quickly as she dove from the slope and down to the village. Flames still encased her body as she then took a single stride forwards, her horn alight. She inhaled deeply and looked down at the villagers with a malicious smirk, though her now-empty sockets could perceive nothing.

"Wow, oh wow," she murmured as she strode around the poised-to-strike ponies. She bounced about on the tips of her hooves, her wings buzzing. "The love here... So rich, rich, rich! Delectable!" She shuddered before she returned her attention to the ponies. Stumbling forwards, she then wrapped her magic around old Tourmaline's hoof and dragged her forwards. The flames died down as she did so.

The old pegasus fought immediately and dug her hooves in as she shouted, "Release me, bug!"

The queen only laughed.

Tourmaline writhed as she beat her wings heavily, but there was to be no escaping the queen's haphazard grip. She barely managed a small step backwards as Avispa's magic faltered, only to be jerked forwards again so that she fell on her neck. Winded, her eyes then widened as she was pulled closer and closer.

It seemed to be the end—but then a stallion's bold purple aura heaved her away and flung her into the air. Unable to breathe, she fumbled to regain control and crashed back down behind her family, all of whom now charged.

Avispa adopted a look of puzzlement at first at the heavy hoof steps. She then hissed and swung her head, knocking out a few with her magic. She hopped to the side and cackled as she galloped around the mob; she crashed into ponies' sides as she blindly made her way around them. Then she reached into the masses without a care and raked her fangs across skin to draw blood. She gave a squeal at that point and then plucked a single earth pony from the ground. Clamping the adolescent mare's neck in her muzzle, she zipped unsteadily into the air.

As Avispa reached an altitude which she deemed great enough—though she could not see to confirm—she only paused for a moment. Then, as pegasi ponies took to the air after her, she clamped her mouth down around her prey's neck even tighter.

The scream echoed around the village. Acid flowed into the mare's body in scalding, corrosive torrents; a few unbearable seconds later, the wail died out as she flopped. Held limp in the changeling's jaws for only a brief moment, she then fell from the sky.

Avispa licked her lips as she lit her horn and inhaled deeply; a liquid-like stream of silver floated from the plummeting corpse and into her waiting maw. As the last strands of magic were then swallowed, the changeling sighed and looked down unseeingly with a grin—and then roared as a knife sliced cleanly through both of her wings. She fell immediately, but a look of great concentration grew on her face just as quickly. The wound healed in barely a few blinks' time, only to be sliced once again by a small green pegasus colt who swooped unnoticed above her, his blue and yellow mane and tail fluttering in the wind.

This time, the changeling fell further, and her wing healed with a fine scar. She then landed with a hiss and threw her head as her ears flicked and nostrils flared. A moment later she charged, horn lowered.

The villagers scarpered as they flung blades in all directions. Two of Roamer's bullets, fired in swift succession, tore through the flesh around a hole in her leg. She keeled and fell on the weak limb for just a moment as blood flowed in torrents. It slowed rapidly, only to be cleaved open once more as a second blade sliced through the same skin again.

An arrow lodged in Avispa's muzzle and made her roar as her already stained chitin was further recoloured. She climbed to her hooves quickly and then charged once more; flames of acid burst from her horn. Surrounding her in a circle, the fire provided a strong barrier—but not strong enough.

Laying on the floor a little way off, Coalburst wailed as her magic wrapped itself around the emerald fire. Her tears were tidal waves of pain that splashed against the fur of her hooves as she strained to part the flames. As she gave one last scream, her body slowly burned; patches of fur fell from her coat, revealing the red raw skin beneath which bubbled and blistered. Then she collapsed and whimpered as she pulled her scalded hooves up to her chest. But her effort had been enough; a few brave villagers leapt through the small parting before it closed up, weapons at the ready. Of them, Roamer was the quickest; he fired bullets at the queen's hole-ridden legs as if they were in plentiful supply.

Of his attacks, a fair few were true. Avispa crumpled as she bled; she gasped and screamed as the wounds closed slowly, one at a time. As she lay on the floor, she swiped the air with her horn and cracked her hole-ridden tail, all the while pulling the flames in closer with her magic. In response, the ponies only struck more desperately. Knives slashed at her chitin in any reachable place.

Avispa's body was a bloodied mess now, too torn up to heal all its injuries. The flames died down at that moment and her gasps came in shuddering breaths as she shot acidic fireballs randomly. Her body spasmed as she writhed, her mouth open in a roar of pure fury—and then her head thudded to the dirt. And at that moment her body stilled, only twitching now and then.

A cold wind blew through the village. The ponies heaved for breath, bodies bloodied and bruised from both Avispa's attacks and from their own wild strikes. And then they collapsed and shook as they looked about themselves at the carnage.

A few mournful screams broke through the pained whimpers. The cold wind's howl was just as pining. But, as time drew on, ponies came to their senses. Numbly deserting the site, it wasn't long until everything was quiet once again.

Huddled up with RipEar still, Blue shuddered as she lay her head down against his flank. She frowned as she felt him stiffen initially; she then sighed as he relaxed a little and rested his own muzzle on her back. Blue then let her wing drape across Coalburst who crept closer and closed her eyes. She took a shuddering breath before she then permitted her mind to wander into a fitful slumber.