Sovereign Nexus, controller of a great changeling hivemind, was pacing.

This may not seem out of the ordinary, as anyone may pace for any number of reasons, but Nexus was not one to waste time strutting about a room. He had a massive hive to coordinate, separated as it was into nearly a half dozen smaller hives, one of which was organizing itself in preparation for a fight not only with an unassimilated changeling hive that was slated to join the hivemind, but also with a settlement of griffins and earth ponies.

Add to that the logistics and resource management of all six hives, the fact that the enemy was also preparing for war, possibly in sync with one another, and the increasingly narrow margin of time he had before the sleeping giant of Equestria took notice of him and the time he was wasting on pacing was very out of the ordinary indeed.

Yet pace he did, occasionally stealing glances at the gray and brown earth pony and his own daughter, the two other beings to share the room with him.

They were playing patty-cake with each other.

Nexus sighed, his mind filled with possible outcomes of this event, despite the adverse effects such thoughts had when one occasionally transmitted through his hivemind.

“Calm, father.” His daughter laughed when the earth pony slipped up for the umpteenth time that hour. Unlike most changelings in a hivemind, the pony exhibited a level of free will despite his mental chains, though disobedience was the last thing Nexus could see in the pony’s eyes. However, he seemed to need to re-familiarize himself with his own motor skills, hence his mistakes in such a simple game, difficult though it could be. “You had made a point that I needed to begin a hivemind of my own. Is this not a perfect opportunity to make the best out of a mistake?”

“It is true that the spell went awry when it met his innate chaos magic.” Nexus admitted. “And it is true that managing to salvage the remains of the spell to enslave Eclipse to your will is a feat of magic I would have been hard pressed to perform. But how can I properly command him through you? I needed him to completely ensure my victory in the upcoming fight, especially considering he and those two who escaped are the reason it is approaching so quickly.”

“You need not command him.” The other changeling said. “Tell me a general idea of what you want so I can command him as I see fit. The possibilities are limitless!”

“Indeed.” Nexus still frowned to himself, disappointed that he could not be the first changeling ruler to command a chaos magic user, though he already had several changelings in his hivemind with unique abilities. That double tailed scorpionfly, for instance. But, his daughter’s words rung with truth, and he accepted that the spell that enslaved a will to the hivemind had been meant for changelings, so both the pony’s physiology and his chaos powers had botched the attempt. This truly was a best case scenario. “Very well, Jule, you have convinced me. Use him well. Now, I need to attend my own hivemind: It has been neglected for far too long already.”

“Jule?” Eclipse asked, working his mouth slowly. “I like that name.” He leaned back against the side of the room, just a small cavern in a network of many, like most changeling hives, the exceptions being those focused on one overly large cavern, such as Icewind. “Jule… Jule… Jule…”

“Don’t wear it out.” Jule laughed as Nexus left the room.

As soon as she was sure Nexus was far out of earshot, she scowled. “Bastard.”

“What!?”

Aranna grabbed Cyclone by the neck, pulling the pegasus back from Thorn and the small group of changelings with him. Most of the rest of Blackreach sat less than a hundred yards away, awaiting word. Matriarch Nightwhisper stood just behind Thorn, watching one of Vangar’s guard commanders throw a hissy.

Several other groups of guards had been called out by Commander Cyclone, but they were much less gung-ho about starting a war with an army sitting on their front doorstep.

Cyclone himself was fighting through the shock of what Aranna was trying to tell him, even while his wing blades kept making attempts on Thorn’s life.

“The skirmishes were with changelings, Aranna! And now, you’ve brought them here! They’ve cost us five good soldiers, and two more are missing! The Sachem, your father, will hear of this!”

“I already have.” Cyclone turned, coming face to face with Finnis. “And I think that my daughter has yet to finish speaking.”

Aranna let out a relieved sigh. “Tha--”

“But that doesn’t explain how she has managed to maintain her composure with a full hive of changelings around, especially after how she vowed to, what was it again…? Exterminate, right?”

“W-well, that’s, uh, you see--”

“I told you they weren’t monsters.” Finnis said, smiling.

“But, but after--“

He raised a claw for her to stop. “I should have waited to tell you about that caravan and started kicking up relations between Vangar and Blackreach long ago.” He turned to Nightwhipser. “Now we end up coming together like this.”

“W-what!?” Cyclone stammered, at a loss for words. Most of the other guards mumbled amongst themselves, but none actually said anything.

Finnis snapped his talons. “Details! What’s the emergency?”

Nightwhisper nodded to Thorn, who approached. “Eclipse is captured or killed. Nexus hive is riled up and likely preparing an assault.”

Aranna stepped forward. “You can bet on it. We’ve already stumbled across advance scouts on our way here.”

Finnis smiled. “Well, we’ve got no time to waste! Cyclone, rouse the rest of the guard! I want everyone who can hold a sword and ain’t married to the idea of breathing!”

Cyclone jumped, not expecting his normally calm leader to suddenly be shouting orders.

Finnis spun, facing another group of guards. “Escort the changelings to the town center! If any want to fight, bring them along with you when come back!”

Aranna blinked. “Where’s his coming from? I’ve never seen you like this.”

Finnis chuckled. “There’s a lot you don’t know, Aranna. For one: remember the adventure stories I told you when you were little?”

Aranna shared a glance with Thorn, who had remained silent for some time.

Finnis had one more surprise in store for those around him. “Fateweaver! I know you’re there, you walking carpet! Where’s my sword?”

Aranna jumped when a large mass appeared next to her.

The buffalo and Finnis shook hands, apparently well acquainted. “You’re late.” The griffin groused.

“A shaman arrives preci--”

Finnis took a large two-handed claymore from the buffalo. “Cut the crap and hand me my armor.”

“It probably doesn’t fit.” The buffalo said, leaving it up to the listener to glean what he had obviously been implying.

“Wait!” Aranna said, having had more than enough. “What is going on? Who’s he?”

“Aranna, Fateweaver, an old friend.” Finnis replied as he pulled on a set of scale mail armor. “Fateweaver, Aranna, the subject of numerous letters.”

Fateweaver scuffed the ground with a hoof. “You didn’t care to explain anything to anyone?”

“No. Why?” Finnis asked, scoffing. “I’ve been too excited to get back into the gig! Do you know how long I’ve had to play the part of calm, collected leader? I preferred when us and the rest of the crew just rushed everything that we saw.”

Aranna swallowed, feeling her head swim. Finnis clasped her on the shoulder. “Everything you know about me is a lie!” He laughed, seeming to enjoy how much of a slap to the face the knowledge must have been.

Thorn helped support Aranna as the stunned griffin slumped to the ground. “I take it this is new for him.”

“Quite the opposite.” The pair turned to find Fateweaver standing just a few feet away. “Nightwhisper and the rest of her hive are moving to the inside of Vangar, but I have a job for you two. There is a cave just over there, hidden behind that boulder. I need you to help me open it.”

“Why should we help you?” Aranna asked. “And why is my father suddenly an insane, hot-headed…?” she searched for the right word.

“Adventurer?” Fateweaver asked. “He’s kept up appearances for nearly twenty-seven years. It’s had nowhere to go in all that time.”

“But, how?” Aranna begged, still not understanding.

“Thorn, do you remember the strange powers that two tailed changeling had?” Fateweaver asked, calm facade cracking under a growing smile.

The changeling nodded once. “Aff, sir. Eclipse had something similar, plus his chaos magic.”

He put a hoof on both Thorn and Aranna, eyes lighting up in a bright orange glow. The two looked around, finding the buffalo suddenly engulfed in the bright orange glow, while Finnis had suddenly started glowing a bright magenta that was coming off of him in waves, seeming to invigorate the guards he was ordering around.

“Loyalty magic is a powerful thing when not used to corrupt those it is used on.” Fateweaver nodded. “But it’s also a very condensed form of energy. Twenty-seven years, even from his adopted daughter. He should think about acting.”

Thorn was in shock, and Aranna was worried that she had finally lost her mind. Fateweaver cut off his magic, ending the display. “Now, help me open that cave!”

Thorn turned to Aranna. “Adopted?”

“Why I hated changelings until I actually met some and had to cool off in a cage. He found me when I was an infant, in the middle of a raided caravan. As far as anyone could tell, it was a changeling attack.”

“Sounds like Brutalis swarm.” Thorn said, thinking. “They are a mobile hive of mostly basic changelings with a few variants. They pass through these mountains once every decade or so.”

Aranna slowly turned to him. “You know them?”

“They are due in three years, give or take.” Thorn smiled. “They never got along well with Blackreach, anyway.”

“You, me, drinks.”

Fateweaver called over to the pair. “I told you two to get over here!”

Sovereign Nexus stood in the middle of a flurry of activity. His daughter, Jule, and her servant stood next to him, watching as he directed the movement of an army of changelings.

Nexus had driven the firefly changelings back, as they wouldn’t be joining in this fight. In exchange, he had summoned a sect of changelings with six legs, sharp mandibles around their mouths, thicker than average exoskeletons and a complete lack of wings or horn.

The ants suffered from low mobility since they couldn’t fly, but their immense strength and thick exoskeletons made them Nexus’s strongest frontline fighters.

The scorpionfly and basic changelings were flitting through the air, preparing for the charge against their enemy, with the exception of one. The changeling the two escapees had referred to as ‘Witch’ stood nearby, awaiting orders. She, along with a basic changeling with the odd ability to perform miraculous heals and take temporary control of wild beasts would serve as the head of the center point of attack.

Two other groups would go around the majority of Vangar’s defenses, outflanking their enemy. The tactic was simple, but would ensure a quick victory if executed properly.

Jule stood by, watching her father closely. Eclipse felt his ears press themselves against his head, feeling some of her anxiety from the link he shared with her.

“Mistress? Is something wrong?” he asked tentatively.

She gave him a glance, but turned back with little answer given.

His gaze shifted to the two-tailed changeling some feet away from him. She seemed familiar, but he couldn’t be sure where he had seen her before. Before he could continue to think in the matter, he felt the pressing need to leave the area, through the tunnel just behind him, down a hundred feet, take a left and then a right.

Following the feeling without question, the small part of him that wasn’t mindless couldn’t help but feel something at the back of his mind, as if it was being blocked.

Meanwhile, Jule was facing her father.

“Why did you send him away?” The older changeling asked. “Hoping distance will keep what he experiences from bleeding over?”

At Jule’s lack of an answer, Nexus laughed. “Nothing can stop it. It is of having a hivemind. To be able to play the part of every changeling at once is a necessary measure. You will grow used to it.”

“I can feel his thoughts, as well.” Jule complained.

Nexus ‘hmph’ed. “That I do not deal with, as my hivemind breaks those who fight it. Are you sure you do not wish to re-perform the spell?”

“I will be fine.” Jule muttered. “But it will take time.”

“We have plenty of time.”

“Yet you do not wish to test my servant’s abilities?”

“They will be tested in the upcoming battle. Besides, I do not wish to waste good warriors on confirming his power.”

“We’re running out of time!” Cyclone shouted as he jammed another sharpened stake into the ground. The wall of spikes was meant to slow any ground attack the enemy performed. Some of the changelings that had fled to Vangar were sitting inside the town, but the one’s that could help were reinforcing the defenses as best they could, whether they would actually be combatants or not.

The guard commander had needed time, but when the first wave of enemy vanguard had been sighted by the scouts, he had thrown aside his own thoughts on the matter. The griffins and Pegasi of Vangar would stand with the changelings of Blackreach, and they would be damn proud to do it.

The pegasus both cursed and thanked Equestria, for it was Eclipse who had made it possible for the town to have as much of a chance as it did, but the nation could also have sent a few more fighters to help in the fight.

Cyclone watched Finnis fly by, organizing several dozen fighters into ambush spots. It had taken several clouds, but they had set up a large group of floating hiding spots set up in a seemingly random pattern around the town. If Nexus tried anything, he would find himself facing more than he had ever expected.

Several nearby guards set up a pair of massive ballistae, loading massive bolts into the crossbow-like siege weapons, the only heavy weaponry Vangar had.

“Commander, contact!”

Cyclone turned to see a wave of black come into sight at the top of a cliff, feeling his jaw drop at the sight. “By the sky above…”

Nexus took his place atop a cliff. It tapered to a point, facing towards his target: Vangar. The city’s unique construction would provide an interesting battleground, forcing the battle into every possible direction.

The fools had set up a pair of ballista, likely in the faint hope it would make a difference. A wall of spikes would slow the advance of the ant changelings, but there were more than enough basics and scorpionflies to keep the enemy busy while ants filtered in.

Nexus laughed, celebrating his imminent victory. Jule and Eclipse stood by, as did the rest of the Sovereign’s army.

Jule pointed at a large mass, standing among the rest of Vangar’s forces. “What is that?”

Nexus paused, following her hoof. “A buffalo? Why is a buffalo here? Ah, no matter. Let the assault begin! This will be a glorious fight!”

Jule grinned to herself. “It’ll be a slaughter, not a fight.” She lowered her voice so Nexus wouldn’t hear her next words, even as he agreed with her previous statement. “But not how you expect it to be.”

Eclipse cocked his head to the side. "Mistress?"

Jule sent an order along her barely formed hivemind to silence the pony as Nexus sent the first part of his assault force forward. The two side attacks followed soon after, prepared to engulf the defenders. Jule sent Eclipse forward, having him hitch a ride on a basic changeling that Nexus had standing by.

Author's Notes:

Remember the fight of Appleloosa, earlier in this story? Remember how I failed to provide you with the epic blood-shed, instead opting to go for a side-operation away from the center of the excitement?

Yeah, I'm going to fix that.

To assure you of this, next chapter will be written while the following plays on repeat in the background: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRuka6I7Ng#t=166