Ten minutes. That's how long it took Spike and Lucy to open every pod in the cave with them. Ten minutes. By the end of it, both were covered in disgusting green goop and feeling miserable. How couldn't they? Both teenagers recognized each and every pony they freed, and the farther along they got, the more they realized how many had been replaced. Even Lucy, who had been in disguise herself, did not know the full extent of the Changeling infiltration. She also didn't know what the Sergeant had been talking about when he mentioned the Princess.

Spike gave a breath of frustration as he got to the last pod. This one was hanging quite a ways out of the way, and Spike's frustration only grew with each step he took to get there. He was feeling restless and energetic, so much so that it was making him comfortable. He wanted to punch something, preferably a Changeling.

A whimper sounded directly behind him, and Spike paused. 

"Spike, I can feel your anger. I promise, everything will be okay." Lucy slowly walked up to him and rubbed her head against his side affectionately. The young dragon sighed and wrapped an arm around his friend, holding her close.

"I know, but I'm just so worried! Dean is the strongest guy I know, but something about his words was unsettling. There is something he didn't tell me, and it's eating me up inside." Spike's ears drooped and he stared at the floor solemnly. Lucy decided he needed some cheering up, so she quickly reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Spike chuckled, and his mouth twitched into a shallow smile.

"Thanks, Lucy. Come on, let's get this last pod."

[b][i]KRACKOOM!![/i][/b]

The sound of an immense explosion echoed throughout the hive, and after about two seconds, something not too dissimilar to magic washed over the duo. It was so intense in fact, that Lucy fell over, and many of the ponies previously laying comatose began to stir.

"Wha... What the..." A large white Unicorn stallion slowly got to his hooves and looked around. He blinked his eyes a few times before reaching up and wiping the excess gunk out with a leg.

Spike and Lucy both jumped when the guard suddenly went rigid and got low, his horn lighting a bright purple so intense, it was nearly blinding. The little dragon shielded his eyes as Lucy jumped behind him and whimpered. 

"Where the buck am I?" Corporal Steel growled. His horn stayed lit and blinding as he glared at the two beings standing a few feet away. If he was now free, then he needed to link up with the rest of his squad and find the Sergeant. He had to warn them of the Changeling incursion!

"Well?" He saw the pony shiver, but the Dragon merely seemed annoyed. 

"Are you Steel or Cobalt? You guys look the same whenever I watch you train." Spike asks with uncertainty as he tries to block the light. Cobalt shakes his head and snorts, his eyes narrowing as he regards the drake. He had seen the teen watching him and his squad train over the last two weeks, but didn't think anything of it. However, he did sort of recognize him.

"Wait... You're Spike the dragon, right?" The brightness of Cobalts horn dimmed somewhat, and Spike lowered his arm as he got a good look at the unicorn. 

Cobalt was still wearing his armor, and his fur was dirty with grime and Changeling slime. Bags hung under his eyes, and his legs seemed to barely be holding him up. His face twisted into an angry grimace as his eyes narrowed at the dragon before him.

"Prove it." 

Spike opened his mouth to give an answer when two things happened: 

First, a mighty, indiscernible roar of outrage and fury shook the very halls of the hive, causing the many unconscious ponies to groan and whine as their ears were assaulted. Spike, Cobalt, and Lucy fared no better, the Changeling herself getting the effects worse due to her connection to the hive-mind. 

Second, following a full fifteen seconds of shocked silence, a mighty explosion near the front entrance of the Hive caused debris to fall, and the room everypony was in to shake. Spike turned and covered Lucy with his body as a chunk of rock tore itself free from above and fell towards the unsuspecting mare. 

The teenage dragon gave a sharp cry of pain as the rock smashed into his back and deflected to the ground beside him. He heard screaming throughout the hive as the sounds of battle once more picked up. The only difference was the clang of metal on metal and screaming of the dying. It sounded like two armies were clashing somewhere, and fear grew inside Spike as he looked towards the entrance to the cave. 

Spike's attention turned to Cobalt, who was listening to a strange device tucked into the mesh on his armor. A relieved smile and a laugh came from within him as he began shaking the ponies around him, trying to get them to fully awake. His eyes quickly found Spike, who was still standing in shock.

"Never mind that question! I need you and the filly to help me get the others out of here! The Resistance has arrived and we don't have a lot of time. I'll get that pod behind you." Cobalt rushed past the two teenagers, causing Spike to blink.

Snapping himself from his stupor, Spike looked back at Lucy, who nodded with a tear filled smile. He could see quite clearly that she was in pain, but knew it wasn't anything physical.

"Common, let's get the heck 'outta here!" 

*****

Dean only took a second to admire his handiwork, the Broken and blasted throne no longer restraining magic. He had felt a wave of energy rush over his form, and his armor somehow didn't seem fazed by it. Instead, he felt energized, and he rolled his shoulders in anticipation for the coming fight.

Dean snarled and began jogging towards the doors leading to the Princess. It was most likely that there would be guards beside the doorway, and while his armor was tough, there were openings that a lucky thrust of the spear could penetrate. He quickly practiced moving his gun from one side to the other, mocking the maneuver he would perform upon entry. Maybe he should use a flashbang instead? Or--

"DEANNN, H-HELP MEEE!!!" 

Dean's blood turned to ice, and his eyes widened in horror. Those words... Those words cut deep into him like a knife as his vision started to tunnel. He was out of time, and his body reacted before his brain could. His mind seemed to go blank as he took off at a dead sprint towards the door, the desperate cries of his friend driving him to push with everything he had. 

Putting his shoulder down, he collided with the massive doors and promptly sent them rocketing to the sides and crushing the guards that had been waiting in ambush. Time seemed to slow down as adrenaline kicked into the Sergeants bloodstream, but it had no effect on the gut-wrenching feeling in his gut. He was moving too slow.

His legs moved, and his eyes never left the form of Twilight as she struggled desperately against the Changeling Queen. Said Queen who had some kind of long tube-like appendage crammed inside the young Alicorn. His breath hitched, and disgust briefly crossed the Human's mind as horrifying memories replayed themselves in his head.  

Dread filled his entire body as he watched a baseball-sized thing snake down the tube and towards Twilight, who was wheezing on the ground after a strike from the Queen. 

[i]'I'm not going to make it...'[/i]

Dean felt as though he was moving through molasses. Spears, spells, and Changelings bounced off of him as he bodied through the wall of insects. His legs felt like lead as tears began to form in his eyes. He had watched this happen before. It plagued his dreams along with all the other horrors he had witnessed. He would never forget the dead eyes of the girl as her insides were destroyed. The exact same thing was about to happen, and he couldn't stop it.

'[i]Please, God... not her!' [/i]

He had lost so much. So many friends, and so many loved ones. While he hoped his wife and child were safe, everyone else was gone. All the friends he made in the Ranger program, his mother and father, Jenkins, countless others... if he lost Twilight, he didn't know if he would be able to handle the guilt.

Dean hesitated in the middle of the room as the Changeling Queen gave a mad cackle of delight. He was helpless to watch as the egg slipped inside the Alicorn with a sickening [i]squelch[/i], and her face contorted into a silent scream. Dean's left eye twitched as his mouth hung open. He could see more eggs traveling down the tube, but that was all he could register as something inside him broke like a glass vial.

"RAAWWWGH!!!" The furious bellow came from deep within the Human as he rushed towards the Changeling queen. His boots left a spider-web of cracks in the stone floor as he raced forward. His arms moved on their own accord, and the Humans combat knife was sent rocketing through the air. Everything that happened next became a blur of metal and panic as the spectating Changelings cried out in surprise.

The knife sheared through the ovipositor before burying itself in the Queens underbelly, causing the bug to rear up in pain and horror. Green blood and strange liquid spurted from the wound as she stared at the knife's hilt in shock. 

Her eyes flicked to Dean, but by then it was too late. 

The Human's fist smashed into Chrysalis's side, the full power and speed of the supersoldier causing bones to literally turn to dust. There was a brilliant flash of red as some kind of energy was released, and the Changeling Queen felt herself catch air. Pain exploded through her entire body as she flew, and it wasn't for a good few seconds before she smashed into the wall on the far side of the chamber, creating a crater. Her mind couldn't formulate just what had happened, so she instead lost consciousness.

Dean saw out of the corner of his eyes as Chrysalis slumped out of the crater in the wall and fell to the ground in a heap. He didn't care, though, as his focus was on the abused purple Alicorn laying before him. He didn't know where the unknown energy came from, nor did he care, as his emotions were running at an all time high as he checked his friend for injuries. He saw her pass out when the egg was pushed inside her, and prayed that he wasn't too late. He noticed that the other half of the ovipositor was still sticking out from between Twilights legs, and promptly ripped it out. The Princess barely made a sound, and Dean began to panic.

He couldn't feel a pulse under his armored gloves, so he opted to tear his helmet off and place his ear against Twilight's chest. It was hard to see in the dark, but if one were to look closely, they would see the tears streaming from the seemingly impenetrable human. 

'[i]Not another friend, please God, not another one!' [/i]He pleaded in thought as he searched for a heartbeat. After several seconds, he heard it, and while it was faint, he couldn't help but let a relieved sigh escape his lips. That is, until he looked down.

A medium sized bulge seemed to protrude from Twilight's stomach, its unnatural form slightly jiggling as Dean's hand passed over it. Looking over her more caused Dean's stomach to lurch.  He had seen gruesome things: Death, gore, destruction, and so much more. But seeing his close friend in such a state of torture and pain seemed to relight thoughts that had long been buried in the recess of his mind. Even if he had seen so much, he would never get used to it, and it always sickened him.

He was disgusted at the implications of what the Queen had done to the poor Alicorn, but he didn't know how to fix this. He gently pushed on the bulge seeing if he could somehow remove the egg from within the pony, but in doing so caused her to moan and shift in obvious pain. He needed a doctor. 

All of this took place in about fifteen seconds, and Dean suddenly became acutely aware of the silence that was the room. The alarm horn was still droning somewhere deeper in the hive, but it was the lack of buzzing and chattering that really got Dean's attention. He slowly turned and faced the small sea of Changelings, a furious snarl curling on his lips.

The bugs were staring at him and their downed Queen in a state of shock. Dean took the opportunity to slip his helmet back on and adjust his duffle bag filled with explosives. It was a miracle it hadn't been torn off in his mad dash towards the podium, and he was thankful it hadn't. It would make his retreat all the easier. 

Dean heard a loud groan, and his eyes widened in shock as he whipped around. A collective gasp went up behind him as well as they beheld what could only be deemed as a miracle.

On the other end of the massive stage, the Queen of the Changelings slowly pushed herself up onto four hooves. Blood leaked from her nose, and some of her chitin was missing around her body. The bloody tube that Dean had cut through hung limply as orange goo mixed with green blood seeped from the knife wound and down to the floor. Dean's hair stood on end, so he looked past the physical injuries and instead focused on her eyes. A shiver went up his spine as... something happened. 

An Eldritch glow seemed to radiate from the massive Changeling as her eyes flashed red. He could only watch, stunned, as pebbles, dust, and debris suddenly lifted from the ground and hovered around the Queens hooves as a snarl appeared. His knife was slowly pulled free from its temporary sheath and began floating along beneath the bug.

On a normal day, Dean would not be intimidated, but a quick glance in front of him caused him to hesitate. Twilight was unconscious beneath him and badly hurt. Judging by the Queen's little light show, Dean figured he was up against someone powerful. While he usually wouldn't hesitate to fight, the safety of the Princess was top priority. Who was to say the moment he engaged the Queen, her underlings wouldn't rush over and kill the Princess. He couldn't allow that, so he opted for the last solution on the table.

Retreat.

The Queen looked like she was charging up for something big, and Dean's hairs stood on end. He did not want to stick around when she finished whatever she was doing. He was smart enough to realize the muttering coming from her mouth was some kind of spell, and quickly bent down to scoop Twilight up. If he was quick, he would be able to make it past whatever reinforcements that were on their way.

Then, all hell broke loose.

A mighty explosion sounded somewhere in the hive, and the sounds of screaming and battle suddenly picked up once again. The only difference this time: the clash of swords and yells of a familiar unicorn Captain could be heard. Shining armor had to be using some kind of amplification spell, as his voice was nowhere near that loud. It didn't matter though; Dean had stood still a second too long. There was a rush of air, and Dean could only glance to the side before his eyes widened. A green glow reflected off his face-plate as time seemed to slow down.

The Human had enough time to shield the pony in his arms before the utterly [i]massive [/i]blast of toxic green magic roared towards him. He tried to jump to the side, and nearly succeeded, but the sheer width of the blast was too much, and caught him in the shoulder.

The Sergeant gave a cry of surprise as he was launched head over heels through the air before his brain caught up with his movement. He re-positioned himself midair and hit the far wall with his back, keeping the Princess safe as the impact caused his jaw to clamp down. 

He didn't really feel the pain, as his armor took the brunt of the impact, but he knew something was damaged. 

Changelings scattered and screamed as they ran pell-mell through the room. Most were civilians' and workers, so they tried to get as far away from the danger as possible. There was shouting as soldiers tried to enter and aid their queen, but the sheer panic of the civilians made their efforts fruitless.

All at once, they streamed towards the door, keeping any reinforcements from entering and getting in on the action. One Changeling tripped and fell on the floor, giving a cry of pain as another of her kin stepped on the back of her leg and broke it. Her cries were silenced when the Queen herself launched through the air and landed atop her, crushing her insides in her fury. Her eyes were set on the Human and the pony in his arms. 

Both beings stared at each other in hatred, and there was a good few seconds where the sounds of battle and panic seemed to fade away. They sat there for a few seconds as the last of the civilians ran out of the room. There was but a moment of hesitation before a stream of soldiers sprinted in and formed a half circle around the Human, blocking any means of escape.

"Give up, Demon. You know not what you are doing!" Chrysalis suddenly snarled as she took a menacing step forward. Dean growled under his helmet as he placed Twilight over his shoulder and drew his pistol with one hand. The silencer was also removed on his sidearm, and he quickly flicked the green laser-sight on. The beam landed in the center of the Queen's chest, causing her to pause.

"I know exactly what I am doing." Dean took a cautious step to the side and analyzed his options. If he was quick, he could catch the two Changelings near the door by surprise. No one would be able to catch up with him, and all he had to do was drop his bag full of explosives. He had heard the buzz of radio chatter as his team communicated, and it sounded as if the Resistance was proving to be a good distraction. 

Chrysalis gave a sneer as she licked her lips with a serpent-like tongue.

"You do realize that if the Emperor gets his hands on that pony, it's all over... right? I was merely doing a favor." The Queen took another step forward, followed by Dean going into a ready crouch. His eyes narrowed as he kept careful tabs on the other Changelings.

"You cannot stop him if the Princess lives. His army is huge, and you are merely one Human. There is no way you can stand against him!" The Queens horn lit up, and Dean tensed. However, instead of an attack, a projection appeared.

[i]He saw a large throne room made of white marble and stone. Stained glass windows with colorful pictures marked the walls, and a red and gold carpet sat upon the floor. At the end of the hall, the carpet stopped against two large thrones sitting side-by-side. On said thrones was a large Alicorn with pristine white fur. A radiant sun was her cutie-mark, revealing herself to be Princess Celestia.[/i]

[i]On the throne next to the Solar Diarch sat an all too recognizable midnight blue Alicorn. Small smiles had appeared on their faces, and they were currently socializing with a small group of Dark Elves. These Elves were obviously diplomats or ambassadors of some kind, as they seemed to carry no weapons.[/i]

[i]A large Elf with broad shoulders and silver hair walked up to the base of the throne, a mocking sneer on his face as the two gold-plated guards crossed their spears in front of him. The Elf said something, causing the two Princess to scowl, but all eyes turned towards the doors at the rear of the room as five ponies and a familiar lavender Alicorn entered, chatting cheerfully.[/i]

[i]It happened in a split second, almost fast enough that blinking would mean missing the movement. [/i]

[i]One moment, the Elf at the base of the throne was there, the next, he was right in front of the Solar Princess, a wicked knife buried through her neck and into her brain. There was shocked silence as Princess Celestia was instantly killed, and the only thing holding her in place was the knife wielding Elf. Almost like a puppet. The Elf turned and gave a sinister smile as his soldiers sprung into action.[/i]

Dean watched with a stoic look and a slight grimace as Luna had her spine broken and the guards were ripped apart by those who had seemed to be diplomats. Once everyone in the throne room was dead, and Twilight had made her escape, did Dean switch his focus back to the Changeling Queen and her guards.

"Princess Luna and Celestia were close to what every creature considered deities. And the Emperor killed them both, just like that." her eyes found Dean's, and some kind of emotion flashed before her scowl returned. Power and magical energy still surrounded her, but it now felt more subdued. Dean was not deceived however; he knew that the Queen could try anything at a moment's notice if she so chose. 

"Being a Changeling Queen, I would be considered a deity myself. Luckily, I am not that stuck up." She giggled, and Dean scowled. He could feel Twilight shifting on his shoulder, and she groaned slightly in discomfort. He needed to leave. Chrysalis' next words only confirmed that. 

"You will not survive, Human. You will either give up the Princess and I'll let you leave with the Resistance that so foolishly came to your rescue... or you will all die, here and now. Answer quickly."

Just then, Dean's microphone crackled.

[i]"Sergeant? We have an opening, but a shit-ton of Changeling soldier's are headed your way. If you can hear me, then you 'gotta book it 'outta there! We have a lot of them occupied, but your window is closing! Spitfire, out." [/i]Dean gave a breath of relief. 

"Go to hell." Dean growled before promptly taking off towards the doors and bodying the two soldiers aside. He heard the Queen give a howl of fury as a barrage of magic was launched towards him. Rock crumbled and the ground exploded around him, but he didn't let up as he bobbed and weaved out of the way.

Sweat poured down his back and neck as he keyed up his radio.

"Spitfire, sound a retreat! Gather the Prince, Spike, and any prisoners and get ready to leave. I have the Princess. ETA, two minutes, over!" Dean ducked as his sixth sense screamed at him, and just in time. Searing hot magic grazed his helmet, scorching the top and causing the air to smell like burnt metal. Dean cursed as the sound of the Queen's buzzing wings were joined by more... then some more.

Soon, what sounded like an army of hornets was chasing him through the halls, and dread began to form in his heart. A feeling was nagging at him, like he was missing something, but his focus was currently getting the Princess to safety, and then getting the hell out of there. 

A mad cackle behind him was the only warning he got before a powerful blast of magic slammed into his side, lifting him through the air and sending him spinning. Dean tried to move in the air, but to his horror, found that he couldn't. Something very, very bad had happened. 

The Human soldier smashed into the ground and ragdolled through the air, accidentally dropping Twilight in the process. Her body flew a few feet before coming to a rest beside the only door of the chamber they were currently in. Searing pain made itself known in his left shoulder, and Dean cried out when he tried to move it. A sensor in his suit let a small image appear in his helmet, and he saw that his left humerus had somehow gained a spiral fracture. 

The man was shocked. Nothing short of a falling building should have been able to break his arm, yet here he was. The pain of breaking a bone was foreign to him, and his shock cost him precious seconds. He heard a small whine, and his head snapped to the side as he saw three Changeling soldiers surrounding Twilight and began poking her with her spears. The Princess slowly woke up, and when she saw the three Changelings standing over her, she screamed. 

Her scream was cut off abruptly when one of the bugs stomped on her chest, causing her to gurgle as something broke inside her.

Dean's vision went red as he saw what was happening, and any pain he had been feeling quickly left as he sprung to his feet and charged the three unsuspecting bugs. His P23 Equalizer suddenly appeared in his hand, and he quickly sent three bullets towards their intended targets.

All three Changelings had but a moment to know something was wrong before their heads promptly exploded. Showering the Princess with green gore and bits of Chitin. 

Dean suddenly appeared in front of her, placing his body in between her, and the Changeling Queen hovering about fifty meters away. Her eyes held a contemplative look as she stared down the Demon in metal.

"That spell would have disintegrated the inside of any other being. I wonder why you weren't affected... no matter." The Queen smiled, and both Human and pony shivered. They were trapped.

An instinct screamed in Dean's mind as he turned to the side and raised his arm. Any pain was discarded as the spear thrown by a Changeling glanced off the armor plating and deflected into the ground. Dean promptly raised his pistol and fired a precise shot in less than a second, destroying the offending Changeling's head.

Dean's motion sensor blared, and he did a flying leap that turned into a backflip as two Changeling warriors lunged towards him. He brought his gun around and shot one before bringing his leg up and delivering a colossal kick to the other Changelings side while midair. 

The army of Changelings was growing rapidly, and Dean landed facing them. Sun shone down through a hole in the roof, forming a circle around him and casting Twilight in Shadow. He stared down the tide of bugs with a snarl, their Queen hovered directly in the middle of the pack. Hundreds, if not, thousands of blue eyes stared at him. 

Dread filled the Human, but he knew he couldn't give up. There was no way the Resistance would be able to reach him, as their numbers were too few. It was just him, a single Human soldier standing between the Last Alicorn and the Changeling menace. If she died, his mission was a failure. If she died, he would lose another friend to the powers of evil. Who cared if the Dark Elves needed her, for so long as she was alive, Dean would keep her safe. 

The insects knew nothing. Their goal wasn't to deny the Emperor his prize, but to instead murder his friend and use her corpse to sustain their young. The Human's left hand balled into a fist, and his wrist sword sprung to life. In his other hand, his arm tensed as he prepared for the fight of a lifetime. 

If these bugs wanted to get to Twilight, then they would have to go through him first. 

The Queen must have sensed the determination coming from the Human below her, and her a toxic green hue lit upon her horn. Her features fell into a snarl as the Human stood resolute. There was no way for him and the Princess to escape. No matter how skilled of a fighter this so-called Demon was, he would surely fall beneath the weight of her army.

The tension in the air became impalpable, and the two sides tensed. One was the steadfast loyalty of the Human, the other was the mass of magical bugs; drones built to heed their Queen's every order. The two sides stared each other down anticipating the clash that was soon to come. The Human faced them, alone and without support, or so the Changelings thought.

Dean dropped his duffle bag, and took one last look behind him, noticing the tears in Twilight's eyes. He took in every detail of her face, the face of his best friend. He saw fear, but beneath it, he also recognized hope. A spark seemed to flash between the two, and Dean felt something stir within him. 

Turning back around, Dean accepted his fate. This was now a fight for not only his, but his friend's life as well. His breathing calmed. He was injured, tired, and beaten up, but he would persist. He had an Emperor to kill, a world to save, and a family to protect. These bugs had gotten in the way, and thus would need to be… eradicated. 

These thoughts filled him with energy, and he didn't notice at first, but a red hue had begun leaching from his armor. To the Changelings, he now looked like an ungodly wraith. Dean's vision flashed red, and he let out a mighty roar that was heard once more through the hive.

Time slowed down as the Changeling horde accepted his challenge and surged forward in a tidal wave of darkness. Their mass blocked out what little light came from above as they seemed to suffocate the chamber with their numbers. They hissed and jeered as they flew, but nothing deterred the Human as he stood fast. He pictured the faces of his son and wife, and then of Twilight. He saw their smiles, and their laughter, and he suddenly recognized the feeling that had come over him.

Love.

He didn't know what kind it was, nor why he was feeling it in the first place, but it didn't matter. The Human took one last calming breath and closed his eyes. Gone was the gentle giant, only to be replaced by the hyper-lethal super soldier. This was it. 

His eyes snapped open, and silence occupied his entire being. No sound was made, but the intent was clear as his legs moved on their own accord.

Outnumbered a thousand to one…. the Demon in Metal charged forward, ready to protect his Princess. 

His friend.