“Wait, those aren’t… Hey! I can’t fly, you know!” I shouted at the rapidly shrinking, horse-like aliens. It was no use, though. Even at my loudest, the group didn’t seem to notice in the slightest.

Not that I could blame them. Titania seemed pretty distraught over the flinging of those changelings, though she probably couldn’t tell at this distance that they weren’t hers. The princess, whom my newly completed lexicon had more accurately dubbed as either ‘Luna’ or ‘Selene’, had quickly chased after the distraught Changeling Queen, followed closely by both sets of guards.

I chose ‘Luna,’ even though her real name actually sounded like ‘Rei-Ah-Lah-Mas.’ It just rolled off the tongue a heck of a lot easier for me than her actual name, and I felt it had a better ring to it than ‘Selena.’ Funny thing, when I started using that name, a small script rolled in the lower right corner of my vision in Krin telling me that the ‘unknown language has been updated.’

Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise during Titania’s story. I was just sitting there, minding my own business, trying my best to follow along with her disjointed story, when suddenly everything she was saying was making a heck of a lot more sense. The words ‘Language partially translated’ were scrolling across the bottom of my vision, too, so that at least answered why it was happening. I had decided to mainly use their tongue while talking with Titania, just to get the feel of it, but some of those horse-noises are really hard to do...

At any rate, that was hardly the problem at the moment. If my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, then the enemy changeling, this ‘Chrysalis’ if my translator was correct, was attacking Titania’s hive. I couldn’t let that happen.

I had no idea what that pink thing at the top of the falls was, but by the way it threw the enemy changelings, it must have been something good. Not only that, but the ponies seemed to think it was caused by one of their own, if how they reacted was anything to go by. That probably meant they were planning a two-pronged rescue operation, and had assumed that the Changelings wouldn't be nearly as cooperative as they actually were.

Why the enemy changelings attacked now was anyone’s guess. At least, that was if Titania was telling the truth about that. To be completely honest, I did trust her. The welcoming committee that I endured when I first arrived was a strike against her, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker. After all, if she was really as untrustworthy as all that, she wouldn’t have let me go first. That would have been the perfect time for me to escape, and she would have lost her only bargaining chip.

No, I trusted her, despite her race literally living off of deceit. What I didn’t trust was the second group of soldiers trying to get into the hive. They had no way of knowing that Titania’s hive wasn’t the bad guys here, and might try to exact vengeance on the changelings for crimes they hadn’t committed.

Which is why, after trying to get Titania’s and Luna’s attention and failing, I immediately turned and dashed towards the waterfall and the hidden hive beneath. If I hurry, I might be able to stop them before they do any real damage… I thought as I passed under the waterfall, getting myself even more wet. I had no real hope that I could make it before anyone died, but there was a very real possibility that I could stop them before things got out of hand.

“What is wrong being?” I heard a changeling ask as I re-entered the hive.

I waved at him to follow as I swept past. “Your hive under attack,” I said as he fell in step behind me. “Other hive here, and pony here. Not know enough, need stop. Take me to top falls?”

The changeling thought about this for a second, probably trying to work around my extremely terrible grammar, then gasped in horror. “Of course!” The next thing he said was way too fast for me to fully catch, but I managed to get the general gist of it. He wanted me to follow him, and he was going to lead me to the top.

I took off at a run, following closely behind the changeling. Every so often we would pass others, who would shout a question at us as we passed, to which the changeling leading me would give a short, clipped reply. I heard ‘attack’ and ‘get to the top.’

We barely went up two floors before the whole hive’s atmosphere seemed to change. Instead of tense, everyone seemed to be confused and panicky. I picked up a few words, but nothing that gave me a real clear picture on what was happening; they were just talking way too fast, and my software really wasn’t that complete.

“Seriously, guys. Calming down! Move out of way being, and I-” I started to say, but was cut off as something fast and black shot out of the crowd, covered in a bright green flame. The thing slowed down as it approached, but not due to anything it had done. Rather, it was my implants that changed my perception of the oncoming threat.

I calmly examined the creature, noting the pink and purple colors burning away to reveal light blue and dark blue. Its expression was one of triumph as it charged towards me, its hooves outstretched, and its voice a lagging cackle of glee.

I easily sidestepped it as calmly as one would dodge a charging child and, with one well-placed backhand, knocked it into a nearby wall and into unconsciousness.

The nearby changelings took a quick step back, all eyes on the stunned changeling. Some had looks of confusion, while others had ones of pure rage.

“Look!” I shouted, grabbing everybody’s attention. “Queen Chrysalis is attack! Pony maybe attack same time, not know difference! You know how tell difference changeling?”

The one I had been following raised his hoof uncertainly. “We know a way, but it may take time. The Ponies could-”

“I worry about ponies. They looking me, will listen. You look for fakes, all non-fakes go out to front of falls. Surrender to ponies there, they help.” I wasn’t sure that there would be friendly ponies that way, but it was in the direction of Titania and Luna. I trusted those two to come to an agreement and fast, especially in the face of a common enemy. Especially especially since Titania was never against Luna in the first place. “You.” I pointed at a changeling at random near the front. He was dressed in what looked like plate mail modeled after greek armor, and seemed rather surprised at being singled out. “You take me to top exit, to ponies. Now.”

Instead of complaining, he cut a quick salute, then turned and ran. “Right way, Promethean!”

I quickly followed him, and like an ocean, the crowd in front of us parted, allowing us forward. My sharp ears picked up the changeling behind me directing other changelings towards the exit, but that hardly mattered to me.

All that I cared about was getting to the top before something terrible happened.

We had barely made it up a floor before the universe chose to punish me for even making the thought. This floor seemed to be a lot less packed, probably because the changelings were all gathered at one of the two exits. That was probably why I was able to hear the scream come from up ahead in the first place. The changeling I was following almost tripped over himself, only to take off like a shot, his thin, dragonfly-like wings allowing him to double his speed, all while he shouted a word that wasn’t in my database.

Without even thinking about it, I kicked my speed into overdrive, and with good reason. I couldn’t understand the word that the changeling used, but I knew screams like those anywhere. The sounds were different from human children, but it still touched something primal in my psyche, nearly making my heart stop, and instantly caused a cold sweat to run down my back.

I wasn’t even aware of the fact that I passed my guard, nor would I have cared if I had been. All that mattered to me at the moment was the screaming, and how I could get to its source faster…

Malphis went flying as the magic ray collided with her skull, the power of the blast knocking her silly. It didn’t kill her, but that wasn’t because the changeling that hit her was holding back.

No, it didn’t kill her because one of her younger brothers had broken from his disguise as a rock to jump on the other changeling’s back. She couldn't tell who it was through the ringing in her ears, but that didn't matter to her. They weren't supposed to break disguise no matter what happened.

“Don’t you… dare… lay a hoof… on my thithter!” Malphis heard through her ringing headache.

“Hah! We found another rat hiding among the rocks!” one of the thugs said, which was closely followed by a charging horn, a blast, and a thud.

Malphis shook her head clear and looked up to see the first changeling looking at the second in disbelief.

Without changing expression, the first one reached out and slapped the second with his hoof. “You nearly took my head off with that!”

The second one looked positively offended at that. “It was just a stun, I wasn’t-”

“Is this really the time to be arguing? Just kill the sprogs and move on!” A third one said, stepping into Malphis’ field of view. They were still wearing their disguises, but it was obvious from how they were trying to kill Malphis and her brothers that they weren’t from the Hive of Providence. “We have more to do, and we can’t rely on the confusion of the Equestrians to protect us for long!”

“Yeah, yeah…” the first said, charging his horn again, pointing it directly at Malphis. “Just start scanning for others; the more we cripple this hive, the easier our queen’s victory shall be.”

“I will, I just-” the third started to say, but stopped when he turned and spotted something large, white and angry enter the room at a dead sprint. “Guys, look-”

Malphis saw the Promethean too, but couldn’t quite believe what was happening. It was like something out of legend, the Promethean coming to the aid of changelings, without reason or cause. She blinked her eyes, trying to rid her sight of the apparition and the false hope it brought.

Instead of the alien disappearing like she expected, only to be replaced by a certain death at the hooves of an enemy changeling, the Promethean instead seemed to grow much, much closer. He reached forward with one of his long, lanky hands, as if he were going to grab the changeling in front of him, and Malphis jumped in surprise as foot-long claws burst from his fingertips! With an audible sigh the Promethean's claws found their mark in the changeling in front of him, piercing through the rogue’s neck, and splashing all the nearby changelings in a deep crimson liquid. There was a green flash of fire, and the changeling impaled by the Promethean gave out a shuddering gasp as his disguise and life ebbed away.

All of this happened in the span of time it took for the other two changelings to turn and gasp in horror. One of them took a step back, while the other released the spell it had meant for Malphis. The ray of energy streaked towards the Promethean, but he wasn’t there to receive it. The beam hadn’t missed, and the Promethean hadn’t dodged or teleported, at least not that Malphis could see. It was just that, one moment the Promethean had been standing over an impaled changeling, and the next he was crouched low, his claws having already passed clean through the neck of a second changeling, with no movement on the Promethean's part that Malphis could detect. The energy beam had missed simply because it had been fired in a spot that the Promethean no longer occupied.

The last changeling took a couple of steps back as his second friend’s disguise and body fell, clearly terrified of the brutality on display. His horn started to glow, and Malphis felt herself being pulled in the thug’s direction. “Look here, I have a-”

He never got to finish his sentence. Before the young pupa had even traveled a single foot, the Promethean had moved again. This time she could spot him, but only just. He did move, but it was so fast that, if she had blinked, she would have missed it.

This time the Promethean flipped right over the changeling, putting himself behind both Chrysalis’ soldier, and Malphis. She tried to turn her head to see, but she wasn’t fast enough. All she knew was there was a sound of blades cleaving through chitin and flesh, a bright flash of green light, and a splash of blood painting the back of her neck.

When she finally turned around, all she saw was pieces, and a bloody figure looking like a demon pulled from the deepest depths of Tartarus. The beast slowly straightened up, looked down at Malphis with those dark, soulless eyes, opened a maw filled with razor-sharp teeth, and said something that completely belied its appearance.

“Are you good being?”

It crouched down to her level, holding out a hand that, while covered in blood, was notably claw-less. Malphis couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, couldn’t even think. All she could do was stare at that fragile-looking hand.

The Promethean didn’t seem to notice, instead looking up in worry at something behind her. He stood up and made his way past her, each step a monument to the hidden power beneath his meager, lanky frame. Like some kind of creepy golem, Malphis felt her neck turn to follow his movements, her eyes glued to the blood-soaked biped. He stopped at a small black and purple form that had been thrown only seconds ago, bent down, and ever so gently, put a hand to its neck.

“Don’t worry, younglings! We’re-What in the name of Themis…”

Malphis turned to see another changeling enter the room, his eyes wide with shock as he took in the carnage.

“No worry, I stop them before hurt,” the Promethean said, standing up and turning towards the changeling. “These two doing good. Just scared. Shocking. Unconscious. They be good in while. Need move-” The Promethean stopped when he heard a sound, similar to that of a small mouse.

Malphis was shocked to realize that it had come from her.

“You doing good, little one?” he asked, turning towards the young changeling.

“That…”

“I sorry, scare you. I not-”

“...was awesome!”

Malphis got to her hooves and charged at the suddenly surprised Promethean. In that instant, there were several flashes of purple as Malphis’ brothers broke from their hiding places, each of them shouting questions and praises at the alien hero as they crowded around him.

Malphis might have been imagining it, but for some reason, she thought he looked embarrassed at the attention. No, Promethean demigods don’t get embarrassed, she thought, shaking off the odd notion.

Promethean demigods were above such petty emotions. That’s what the elders had told her, it was what the legends said, and after experiencing one’s martial prowess up close, Malphis knew that those legends were absolutely true.

Prometheans were power itself. Powerful enough to face down demons with nothing but a laugh.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Malphis knew that this Promethean would save her hive.

Hieremias held out his hooves to the group of panicked changelings. He didn’t recognize any of them, but that was hardly strange. Only the Queen Mother and her consort were capable of knowing all of the children by name. It was why groups of changelings were organized into pods; to foster a sense of close-knit family within the hive. “Hold on, stop! What’s happening? We heard a shout, but-”

“It’s the Equestrians!” one of the changelings gasped, clearly out of breath. “They’re moving through the hive, mowing down any changeling they see like wheat in a field!”

The soldier changeling’s face went stony as he shared a look with his pod mate. They knew what they had to do. “If we hurry, we can stall them for a few minutes,” he said to Titos. He then turned to the small group in front of him and pointed deeper into the hive. “Get to the egg room and get as many younglings as you can out of the hive! We’ll hold them off!”

“Right away, Pod Leader!” they shouted, then charged deeper into the hive.

“Do you think we can stop them?” Titos asked, his voice just as dead as the feeling in Hieremias’ heart.

Hieremias looked around the stone corridor, its familiar shifting walls suddenly feeling very cramped. “If Father keeps the hallway as narrow as it is now, I think we should be able to hold for at least a few seconds.”

“Do you think that will buy us enough time?”

Hieremias’ only answer was to shake his head.

“I didn’t think so, either.”

The two changeling soldiers didn’t have to wait long before the enemy came around the bend. Both of them felt their hearts drop to their hooves when they recognized Prince Shining Armor. If he was leading this purge, then they were surely done for. Without even missing a beat, the two began charging their horns and fired at the stallion, intent on holding this location as long as possible.

The look on Shining Armor’s face was almost comical, as if he hadn’t been expecting such a negative response. As quick as lightning, the Equestrian prince brought up an energy shield, protecting himself from the spells that were sent his way. “Stand down! I’m an ally!!”

The two changelings stopped, but probably not for the reason that Shining Armor wanted them to. Both were staring at the energy shield the pony had made, naked terror in their eyes as they slowly backed away. Before they had taken even two steps back, however, something happened that neither changeling could believe.

A changeling, wounded by the looks of it, came around the corner behind Shining Armor. Instead of attacking the prince, or even running away at the mere sight of him, the changeling instead moved to stand beside the stallion, a look of disbelief written on his face. “The prince is telling the truth! The Equestrians aren't here to hurt us!”

“Wha-”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but the Equestrians are here to help,” the changeling said, taking a few steps forward as Shining Armor’s spell faded from view. “Chrysalis has attacked our hive, and some of her drones made it inside!”

“Hieremias…” Titos said, his voice filled with horror. “Those other changelings…”

“I know, Titos. They said that the Equestrians were mowing us down indiscriminately,” Hieremias said, rage building inside his gut. The changeling that stood before them could have been an Equestrian trick, but Hieremias doubted it. The Equestrians weren’t that adept in illusions and trickery magic, otherwise they would have been able to root out the changeling hives a long time ago. If the Equestrians really were mowing down every changeling they saw, then Shining Armor would have not only killed the changeling in front of them, but would also have killed Hieremias and Titos the second they had rounded the corner. Not only that, but the prince of the Equestrians was trying to talk to them, and he had more reason than most Equestrians for hating changelings.

Hieremias fell into a low bow as the pieces fell into place inside his head, his pod mate following closely behind. “Our apologies, M’lord, but we think we let a group of Chrysalis’ changelings through.”

The two guards heard a brief hum of Unicorn spellcraft, but nothing else seemed to happen. “Okay, you two check out. We need to hunt down the wedding crashers before they have a chance to hurt anypony else. You can either help us, or join your comrades topside. I don’t really care either way.”

Hieremias quickly got to his hooves, still not quite sure what was happening, but thankful that he wasn’t about to die. “We will go with you. Our hive is a thousand, five hundred strong. It will take you some time to sift through us all without our help.”

Shining Armor grumbled a little, but otherwise did not object. He instead swept past the two soldiers, his posture clearly showing that he was unhappy about something.

"Is something wrong, M’lord?” Hieremias asked nervously as he fell in line behind the stallion.

“Oh, don’t worry about him, he’s just having a bad day.”

Hieremias turned at the unfamiliar voice, quickly spotting two Equestrians that he had not seen before. Both were Solar Guard, one a unicorn mare, while the other was a pegasus stallion. The pegasus had the classic look of stern impartiality as he marched, while the unicorn had one of wry amusement. “I’m sorry, but have I offended him?”

“No, he’s just disappointed that you all didn’t turn out to be monsters. He’ll get over it,” the unicorn said with a negligent wave of her hoof. “At any rate, we’ll be relying on you to tell the other changelings that we’re here to help. Can we trust you with that?”

Hieremias gave a quick salute, then quick-marched to take up the lead. “I can do you one better. If Chrysalis has sent her changelings to attack, there are only a few places they would head to: The nursery, or Father’s room. Follow me.”

Before he managed to take one step, though, Shining Armor held out a single hoof, stopping the changelings in their tracks. “...Just like that?”

Hieremias looked at the stallion questioningly. “Just like what?”

“The ponies, who have been your mortal enemies, just show up one day and tell you that another group of changelings are attacking. Instead of being the slightest bit suspicious, you just lead us straight to your most vulnerable and important places?” Shining Armor asked, suspicion clear in his eyes.

“My apologies, Prince Armor, but I believe you have mistaken something,” Hieremias said as he fell into another low bow. “The changelings of the Hive of Providence have never been your enemies. We have used and deceived you, true. We have been hiding among you, and have been stealing love meant for others, certainly. But we have never wished you harm.”

“My son speaks the truth. We are your allies, and always have been,” a voice that Hieremias knew all too well echoed through the corridor. The assembled ponies and changelings quickly turned to see Queen Titania come around the corner, followed closely by Princess Luna.

“Now is not the time to be arguing about this, however. There is a clear and present threat, and until we deal with it, we must act,” Luna said, stomping her hoof. “Prince Armor, you will take the changelings and your troops and move to protect the nursery. Queen Titania and I will head to this... ‘Father’s room.’ Once the threat is past, we will hammer out the difficulties between our two peoples, is that clear?”

There was a brief flash from Shining Armor’s horn, but when nothing happened, he immediately cut a crisp, clean salute. “Right away, Your Highness!” he said, right before leading the charge deeper into the hive.

“Okay, now, who can tell me who this is?” Oberon asked as the walls of the room shifted and changed. A perfect image of the Princess of the Sun could be seen galloping through where his stomach would have been, while right above his head a representation of the sun climbed higher and higher in the sky.

Several of the young ones lifted their forehooves, each shouting to be heard over the rest. Celestia was the most common answer, though Oberon did catch a few ‘sparkly food’ thrown in there, as well as a single, wordless grunt from one of the little ones who tried to answer with his hoof still in his mouth.

“Belen, we can’t understand you with your hoof in your mouth like that, dear,” Oberon said with a smile.

Belen pulled his hoof out of his mouth and gave an answer, but Oberon completely missed it. Somewhere deep inside his form he felt a mild shock run through his body and enter his mind. It didn’t hurt; on the contrary, it was quite pleasurable, almost like a lover’s kiss. Oberon lifted the only hoof he had left to his lips, hushing his children into silence. “I’m sorry, loves, but Mother wishes to speak to me for a moment.

The little ones all ooh’d in understanding, while one of Oberon’s fully grown children moved forward to take care of the little ones for the time being. Once his children were being seen to, Oberon closed his eyes and concentrated on the source of his queen’s touch. He didn’t need any eyes there, only a mouth to speak with, an air bladder to take in air, a voice box, and an ear. The place where his queen was was some distance away from his head, so he sent a command along with the mouth, to speak to his love the moment that the mouth formed. “Hello, my love. How was your meeting with the Equestrians?”

He hummed a little to himself while he waited for an answer. He was certain that things had gone smoothly; after all, one of the legendary Prometheans had appeared. That had to be a good omen.

He nearly choked when he received his queen’s reply. “Oberon, seal the nursery and your chambers, now. Some of Chrysalis’ brood are inside you. Let none into those rooms but myself.”

Oberon sent the impulses, instantly sealing off his chamber. He knew that the nursery would take some time, but he put his trust in his sons that were still inside. He sent down a mouth with orders while he was at it, simply to ensure that they were sufficiently warned of what was happening.

“Father, what is wrong?” Oberon heard, bringing him back to his room and the children inside.

The little ones were already in tears, having felt that something was wrong, and not liking it one bit. Basil, the son that was taking care of the chamber, looked to his father in fear. Oberon opened his mouth to reassure his frightened children, but grimaced in pain when he felt something sharp impact the door to his chamber. “Basil, take the little ones to that corner,” Oberon said, waving towards the corner in question with his only hoof. “We have some unwelcome guests, and very little time before they cut through me. We need to ensure the little one's safety.”

Basil gasped in shock, then began ferrying larval changelings over to the corner as quickly as he could.

Oberon watched his son work, hushing the little ones, and promising them that they would be okay. This seemed to do very little to help, but it made Oberon feel better. Especially since he could see the tip of some kind of bladed weapon already.

It hurt. In fact, it was more painful than anything Oberon had ever felt. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him, telling him to open the door, withdraw his vulnerable flesh from that prying blade, but he held firm. His horn glowed briefly, and with the accumulated love of his hive, he created two new doorways: one in the corner where Basil was gathering the younglings, and one right in front of the entrance to his chambers. It would take him a little while to form these new appendages, but he felt confident that he could make it in time.

That is, he felt confident up until the point where the first blade was joined by another, then another, then another, each scraping, cutting, stabbing and slicing its way through the flesh that made up the door to his most private sanctum. As he felt the blades cut deeper and deeper into his flesh, Oberon silently sent up a prayer to Themis, begging the ancient goddess of the Prometheans that he would be able to hold out long enough for his beloved to reach him.

Deep in his heart, though, he knew that he had already failed. While a proper barrier took days to form, what he was making now would only stall the invading hive for a few moments.

He only hoped that those few precious moments would matter.

Author's Notes:

Hey, all! I'm alive and with a brand new chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it!

This one gave me a little bit of trouble, but thanks to lordelliot I was able to figure it out. That's why this chapter is 4800+ words instead of 3100~ words.