The three months were up before Fear knew it, though at the same time it'd felt like it'd taken forever, every exercise drawn out beyond measure. It was excruciatingly difficult and Fear still didn't believe in himself. His lessons with Nyx had suffered because of it. How was he supposed to convince a king, an expression of a hive, of anything? That was like trying to out-talk a bunch of creatures at once.

Spear had given Fear the directions to the hive, telling him that Solanum was expecting him within a few days and not to keep him waiting if he was indeed intent on fighting for dominance. He had both garand and sword with him, intending to use both at the same time if he could. His dexterity with telekinesis had only improved and... well. The fruits of his training were a secret to all but those who'd spent the time propping him up to be his best.

Sim, Faith, and Gentler were all coming with the colt, traveling with him and giving him emotional support, as well as backup in case anyling tried to attack him on the way. Even if Spear had told him no changelings would attack, none of them trusted it for sure. Sim, who was carrying the colt's saddlebags, had explained that sometimes individuals took matters into their own hooves rather than waiting for the king or queen to make a decree. It sometimes caused chaos, and other times it allowed for the hive to grow further. It was always a case by case basis.

It wasn't long at all before they were in range of the hivestone formation that made up Solanum's hive. Immediately, it nullified Gentler's gems despite the fact that they tried their best to function. Fear's shadow spells were useless, and so was normal telekinesis. Thankfully he'd learned how to use telekinesis via his changeling magic instead, so it wasn't a big deal.

Faith's weapon was also not working. The lot of them were at a huge disadvantage, and they were going into enemy territory.

All they had was Solanum's word that no one would try to dogpile them and dispose of them before they could face the king.

Fear felt more uncomfortable than ever before, and it only became a far more passionate sensation, digging into his brain and scooping out chunks as if he was being probed and examined, when they got into the hive.

Prince Piercing Nettle was the one who was guiding them through the various contracting and dilating cavern walls, as if it was alive, leading them to the King. Nettle was a powerful changeling with rippling carapace. He looked like he was constantly in motion, even if it was no more than his wings occasionally fluttering. He looked a lot like Spearmint, but he had a lustrous golden shell and eyes, with a long, flowing alabaster gossamer mane that fell straight down his shoulders, tail framing his hindlegs. His presence was the most dominating force Fear had felt to date, aside from Sim's illusion of what Solanum was like.

Navigating the breathing pathways wasn't the problem, they had assistance for that.

The problem was the sheer malevolence Fear was experiencing. Changelings they passed jeered at him. He could sense a whole hive mind chittering and buzzing closeby that wouldn't let him in, but he could hear all the words directed at him.

“Dear Chrysalis he's small!”

“That little thing thinks he can take on our king?”

“Look at him, he can barely stand to be in the presence of our hive mind!” It was true, Fear was cowering before the amount of presences and emotions drifting about inside of it. It was throwing him for a loop, numbing his thoughts, making it difficult to be... himself.

“He's a fucking failure.”

“Look at his eyes glow! He can't hide emotions for the life of him. He's weak.”

“Fuck that horn! So stubby – no one would ever want him for that.”

Then the name calling started.

“Queefshitter.”

“Fartsplatter.”

They knew everything, not only his name but about his genetic defect. How'd that get out?

“You're no more than a drone, stop pretending to be something you're not!”

“You don't deserve to be anywhere near our king you pathetic mutt!”

Fear tried to block out all the thoughts being relentlessly thrown at him, trying to focus on meditating, attempting to control his breathing and heart rate. He was scared. No changelings wanted him there. None voiced their opinion at least.

“Can't do anything a fullbred can.”

“Barely big enough to be a cocksleeve without breaking.”

“Bugwhorse.”

“Is that a pony or just the other half of what I didn't eat last night?”

“Hey where'd this talking doll come from?”

The derisive comments never seemed to cease as Fear wandered through the labyrinthine hallways, slowly heading further underground toward...

“Where are we going?” Fear asked with trepidation.

Nettle responded simply, a condescending tone to his voice. “We're headed to the heart of the hive. Where changelings past and present will bear witness to your fight; to determine whose ideals we should follow; who is the strongest.”

“Oh.”

Faith reached over toward Fear. “It's going to be okay Nightlight.”

“Pfft,” Nettle spat. “He's a dirty amalgam and he knows it. This is about proving a point, and the point's going to be proven one way or another. This little waste of space doesn't even deserve an audience, doesn't deserve to have breath spent on him, yet the king believes all rebels should be put in their place no matter how inferior and insignificant.”

Fear was at a loss for words. Everyone stayed silent.

“Here.” Nettle hissed. “Beyond here is the heart of the hive. Go in and take care of your business. Pray to your sisters, you won't be leaving alive.”

Fear gave a solemn nod and slipped past him into the room beyond.

The door, like a camera shutter, zipped closed behind him, sealing shut. Nettle turned to them and smiled. “You shouldn't have come here you know. You should've just let the foal go on his own.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tByGFY8WRY

Sim stepped up. “We wouldn't do that to him. He deserves to have support.”

Gentler huffed. “That colt... he's going to do great things with his life. He can't be stopped here.”

Faith just smiled determinedly, her brows leaning inward defiantly.

Nettle sat on his haunches and pushed his forehooves together. “Well then. I don't suppose King Solanum would mind if I took out the riffraff while he's dealing with the drone.”

Sim's eyes widened, Gentler punched a fist into his palm, and Faith took a step back. “That wasn't the deal,” Sim hissed with furious eyes, boring a hole into Nettle.

“Too bad, deals change all the time. Besides, your friend there is destined to fail.”

“He's my son, and he doesn't fail.” Not ultimately at least.

“Bah, whatever!” A flash of green surged past Nettle's eyes, but Sim closed his at the last second, before lashing out. Sim transformed his hoof into a blade, careening it straight for his face.

Nettle stepped back. Sim lashed out with another bladed hoof for the changeling's neck, stepping forward onto the the other hoof as it morphed back. The changeling stepped back again, pressing against the wall.

“You little shit!” The prince spat as he lunged at Sim, tackling him to the ground and raising a hoof to pound into his face, both pairs of saddlebags falling off onto the ground around him.

Faith was coming at Nettle with a valiant war cry, using two hooves to swing her weapon through the air horizontally, intending to bash the changeling's face in. He rolled off to the side however, causing the weapon to whiff air. Nettle then lurched at Faith, intending to burrow a sharpened hoof into her jugular.

Gentler was there though, leapfrogging over Faith and shoving her to the ground, passing over Nettle, somersaulting and landing against the door on his feet, twisting around like he was in zero-g and thrusting a fist out to bash the prince's skull in through the back.

Nettle leaned forward and jumped, diving over Faith's and Sim's bodies, shoving them together, flitting his wings to give him distance, twisting around and charging up his horn, firing off a searing green laser at the cat who'd fallen to his knees.

Gentler leaped forward, bringing his gauntlet in the way, taking the brunt of it, a scorch mark forming along the metal, nearly tainting one of the gems. As the Abyssinian flew through the air over Sim and Faith, he lashed out with a hook, which Nettle dodged, then he curled into a roll as the others were getting up.

The prince bellowed. “Perhaps we should make the arena a little more appropriate for a fight!” And with that his horn lit up with a gunky green aura that reached out to the hivestone walls. Demonstrating his power, the cavern began to stretch out like it was being blown apart.

All three stood ready. Sim standing next to Gentler, and Faith on the other side holding her weapon like a hammer on her back, hoof through the hole.

Three green lasers lanced out from Nettle's horn, surging at the trio who dispersed, running to either side of the changeling while Gentler faced him head on, charging forward.

The prince backed up slowly, firing off another laser at Gentler, which was swiftly dodged. The cat was watching the build-up of magical energy closely and using his superior reflexes to avoid it. Gentler reared his left hand back, intending to punch a hole straight through Nettle's face, but it was a feint.

As the prince ducked, Gentler launched himself into the air, twisting around and landing with his feet on the ceiling, then barreling straight for Nettle.

The changeling lined up his horn and charged up energy, intending to fire a bolt right through Gentler's heart. Only it wasn't meant to be.

Sim reached out with his changeling magic, using telekinesis to save the Abyssinian in the nick of time, pushing him out of the way.

The bolt fired off of Nettle's horn. It cracked the ceiling.

Gentler landed on the ground with a spinning flourish.

Before the prince knew what was happening Faith and all her earth pony strength was right up next to him, swinging downwards with her weapon like a sledgehammer. The horn crashed into Nettle's skull, nearly cracking it open in one deft movement, sending the changeling plummeting to the ground, nailing his face into the rock.

With Nettle's brain nearly randomized in his cranium, jumping around like it was on crack cocaine, the prince was out for the count.

==========================================================================================

The room Fearei entered was large and expansive, glowing green. There was a bridge leading further in toward a dais with an unusual sigil on it that Fear didn't recognize. In a pit surrounding the entire area was a bath of changeling slime giving off cozy light and comforting heat. Fear looked over the edge into the goop, and could've sworn he saw something swimming within it. It wasn't anything living, Fear didn't feel monsters with his sixth sense, but there was definitely something. A presence that throbbed against him, whispering things to him. Dangerous things. Ever the easily influenced colt, he had a combination of encouragement and discouragement entering him though he couldn't understand why. Suddenly he was elated, his heart rising into his throat, and also even more sullenness, his stomach knotting up in his abdomen. Fear looked back toward the dais and saw...

Solanum.

Ever in his oppressive glory like Sim had shown him, yet it was far more brutal than even that. The booming presence was too much, officially bringing Fear to his knees before he could get to him. The colt was crawling forward in reverence despite every wish pumping through his body. “K-King Solanum. I am here.” He wanted orders. Wanted to be told what to do. No matter what it was, he wanted to achieve it. Serve the higher power.

Solanum turned around to face Fear. “So you are just a drone.”

Fear heaved and huffed, trying to bring to every bit of him he could. It was a struggle, pulling forth his will, using everything he'd ever experienced during his training to just... stand... up! Fear's legs trembled as he forced himself onto all fours, his head bowed, eyes squeezed shut. He couldn't... couldn't fight in this state.

“Do you really know what you are doing nymph, what you are fighting? You are rebelling against more than you could ever imagine. You don't deserve to be in my presence the way you are.”

“I... I... I... came here to ask you... to demand...” Fear's breathing was ragged. “That you stop your war against ponies. S... stop belittling them. They... they don't deserve all of it!”

“Oh? And why should I listen to you?”

“I don't... I don't know.” Fear tried to show the uncertainty that Nyx had taught him. “We want to set an example.”

“Examples don't work in the wasteland, I'm afraid.” Solanum's voice was deep and pronounced, almost sexy. “If we succeed in healing the wasteland we deserve all the credit, we deserve to be the rulers. Don't you agree, nymph?”

Fear wanted desperately to agree, nodding his head despite his wishes. “N... no. You're supposed to.” He dragged out his ideals kicking and screaming from when he was young. “You're supposed to help others despite what you get in return. If others elevate you then... that's... their... choice.” Fear gasped and fell to the ground again.

“I'll tell you what, Nymph.” There was a certain admiration and respect to Solanum's voice that hadn't been there before. “You endure being part of our hivemind and I'll think about considering your proposal.”

Fear nodded again. “F... fine. I... I accept.” He eased out as if he couldn't breathe.

Solanum closed his royal eyes and reached out with his lancing horn, touching the top of Fear's head. Suddenly, the area's secrets were unlocked for him, opening up before him. Now he was zooming across what felt like time and space, thousands of stars that were changeling souls from past and present surging past his vision, battering against his mind. The whispers of everything deluged over him, cascading and enveloping him, wrapping around his soul and crushing it. Smothering it. Drowning it. He couldn't hear himself think. A fit of catatonia formed over him as he fell onto his side, his breathing becoming faint, his eyes dilating, bulging out of their sockets. He could hear so many changelings that didn't want his presence amidst them.

Fear was going brain dead, his identity completely inundated. He couldn't... couldn't recall himself no matter how hard he tried. What was his name? What were his ideals? What was his reason for being? It was to serve the hi... No.

Fear squeezed his eyes shut.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l0RMGid6vo

Memories, his own, came flooding into him. Learning with his mother, being coddled by her. Carving his own path through the wasteland. Sure he'd hurt others, but that didn't mean he deserved to be under another's command, because...

Because... he was making up for it. Crate and Angel believed in him. They'd taken care of him. He'd slaughtered the fuck out of Chrono Corona. He hadn't gone through all that just to lose here! And then there was the pendant, showing him all sorts of things, all sorts of various destinies, but none that applied to him in the here and now, as if teasing him.

If Fear wasn't going to give into the Seer's Eye and its whims how was he ever going to give into this... this conglomeration of identities!? They weren't him! This hive wasn't him! He didn't belong to it! Fear remembered Amelio, and Sim, and everyone else. All of it came thudding into his brain like meteors.

Fear's eyes flashed as his fervent breathing calmed. Fear slowly pushed himself up onto his hooves. He was dazed but... he could... fight. “Fuck you, Solanum.” Fear defiantly spat.

“So you do have some will in you after all. It's too bad I have to kill you.” Without warning the King lashed out with a hoof, turning it into a spear and driving it into Fear's body.

Or at least it would have if Fear hadn't felt it coming. He jumped backwards, the spear plowing into the ground, a web of cracks spreading out around it. “Gonna... gonna have to do better than that!” Fear seethed.

“Oh, don't worry, I will.”

Fear huffed and puffed, recalling all his training. Without thinking he proceeded across his list of plans, growing out his hair and fur, and shedding it at an alarming rate. Soon there were so many fibers hanging in the air it was nearly a tempest and it was difficult to not breathe them in. Fear was hidden among them.

The colt pumped out an illusion with all he could manage, trying to hide his body within the storm.

Solanum quickly lost sight of the hybrid.

Fear unsheathed his sword and held it at the ready, unslinging his garand off his body and holding it next to him. And before he knew what he was doing he was galloping around the arena, shedding more and more fur and hair. Creating an absolute torrent of amethyst and dark gray.

Solanum didn't know what to do, he was at a loss for everything. He'd never seen a technique like this before. The king's carapace began to ripple and squirm, pieces of it growing out from him and slicing off his body, raising into the air at the ready.

The colt dashed at Solanum, bringing his gun to bear. The king heard his hooves coming – rookie mistake. And lashed out with a spear of carapace. It hit the ground, missing Fear by an inch because he swerved to the side.

Fear pressed the gun up against Solanum's flank and pulled the trigger as he dashed past.

Burn marks marred the surface of his carapace, ichor seeping out of the wound as Solanum's leg lifted into the air, no other reaction besides that. He couldn't use that leg anymore without severe pain, but he'd kept the bullet from damaging anything more. “So. You can sense me.”

Fear cried out. “Of course I can you idiot!” Fear was nearly screaming as he lost himself in the cloud of hair and fur.

“In that case let's see how well you do with illusions.”

Abruptly in Fear's sixth sense there was a host of Solanum souls dotting the arena, confusing him to no end. They were all moving at once, even the one that was standing still. Fear boggled vacantly as he stood still, getting lost in the sensation.

Solanum took that time to find Fear by making a ring of carapace spears, then twirling them around the arena in a vortex, knowing he'd eventually hit the colt.

The only reason Fear'd managed to survive when a lance was about to impale him was due to his sword throbbing and coming to his defense, clearly not affected by the illusion. It swept through the storm and bashed against the chitinous weapon, diverting it off and to the side. Then another, clanging against the carapace and sending them flying. But now Solanum knew where Fear was.

Fear tried to nullify the illusion, but it just changed forms, becoming something else, he couldn't keep up! So he stopped trying.

Solanum approached where he knew Fear was. Fear used his eyes and tried to fire a bullet at the king, who wove to the side and lashed out with a leg, like an alien it grew until it coiled around Fear like a python, squeezing against him and holding him in the air.

Fear was still dazed, unable to move. He tried his best to squirm out, bringing the sword down onto the arm of carapace to try and sever it, but it didn't even make a dent.

Solanum chuckled. “You know, Fear, you could have made a great changeling. Even if you never would have been anything more than a crossbreed.”

Fear strained and struggled in his bonds, about to fire a bullet at Solanum, only the king constricted tighter, stealing Fear's breath away and causing his magic to fail him, both weapons clattering to the ground. “Fuck... you...” Fear gasped out, his body turning blue.

“So how should I kill you? The long and obscene way, forcing you to run out of oxygen? Or should I just end it quick by stabbing you through every part of your body?”

Fear ground his teeth together, grinding and gnashing. “Finish me off... c-coward.” Fear coaxed out of his mouth.

Solanum glowered at Fear. “As you wish, Nymph. Normally I'd feel bad about killing someone as young as yourself, but examples must be made.”

“I thought... heheha.... examples didn't work?”

Solanum pounded a hoof on the floor and without any more due process pumped transformation magic into Fear's binds. A bunch of thorns burst out of the insides, stabbing into Fear in his stomach, neck, legs, and chest, puncturing every artery and organ, perforating him completely. Only his head was safe. Fear gasped, or at least tried, his eyes going dull.

With a shink the thorns receded along with the binds, leaving Fear's corpse to plummet to the ground.

“What a shame.” Solanum grinned, victorious.

“It was an illusion!” Fear's voice sounded out as a sword stabbed into the king's back, right through his spine. then wrenched along the carapace, sending wild sensations of pain and danger flirting with Solanum's brain.

“Wh-what!?” Solanum didn't scream. Fear was saddling him, so he built up transformation magic in his back, intending to shove out a spire of carapace to skewer through the colt. Fear, however, felt it coming and pumped his own transformation into the changeling in order to forcefully revert the morph and leave it normal.

Fear held on with his hooves around the sword in case the king tried to buck. “I'm an empath and you're not! Get fucked!” Fear yanked the sword out, causing more ichor to spurt from the king's body as Fear wound the gun around, intending to blast the changeling in the face.

Solanum looked at Fear for one single second.

Fear's eyes flashed green.

It felt like Solanum was falling through an abyss, his pupils enlarging and becoming faraway, his jaw hanging open.

The end came quick, the blast resounding through the room as a bullet punched through Solanum's skull.

==========================================================================================

An uproar rose like a tidal wave in the hive mind when they felt the presence of their king disappear. They'd thought it was over when they felt Fear's presence fade. Had they killed each other? How was that possible? But before the lings could get into any actual discourse Fear's presence returned.

“Your king is dead.” Fear spat on the connection, still almost drowning in the collection of minds.

The outcry was instant. They didn't understand. How could the king be dead? Just like that? The voices were tumultuous.

“Shut up!” Fear growled out at them. “I'm going home. I have my own hive to tend to.” Saway had eventually agreed to be called part of Fear's hive, with a little force from the colt. He was riding a victory high like he hadn't experienced since he beat Chrono, but it wasn't time for that right now. “I'm leaving Spearmint Wing in charge. If you don't like it you can come fight me, fuckers.” The colt's voice was furious. He'd inevitably found out the prince had tried to attack his family while he was fighting Solanum.

A voice rang out. “But... but aren't you our king now!?”

Fear shook his head hazily. “Not even slightly. I rule my own hive.” Sort of. He wasn't actually ruler, he knew. But they listened to him and supported him. It was close enough. “But Spear will be listening to me from now on.”

Spearmint's voice came up next. “Congratulations Fearei, how'd you do it?”

The colt was surprised to feel the friendly changeling connect with him. “Uh... well. I'm an empath, he's not. He couldn't tell I was using an illusion. It was just that real to him. That or he really wanted to believe it.”

“I see. Well done. I'll take things over from here. I hope you don't mind if we keep in touch?”

“Not at all, Spear. I'm going home. And eventually I'm gonna travel again, I'm sure. But until then I'm taking some downtime. I want to spend time with my hive.”

Spear tried to calm his new hive down. It was fast, but it was simple. The victor had decided the new leader, and no one would dare fight with that decision.

Author's Notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsNGZEXzfUs

And that's the end of Fear's first real adventure.