AN: This chapter is dedicated to El Prez, the bestest meme lord I could ever have the chance to meet. If it weren't for him tryna meme on one of my vent stories, I would not be writing this story. He's not just cool, he's Mr. New Vegas cool. Keep on being awesome!

The Hive mindset is a scary thing to think about. Most ponies, no matter who it is, can all agree that the Hive mindset is terrifying. After the queen of the Hive, the feared Queen Chrysalis, finally defeated her oppositions, the princesses and the Mane Six, she quickly got to work on taking over the entire kingdom of Equestria. Ponies who were lucky enough to escape her evil clutches scattered. Forced into hiding for fear of them being captured and put into her reign.

Some ponies however, formed large resistance bases all throughout the world. The largest one was based in the town of Ponyville, where it was almost always constantly under the threat of attack. Since it it was the biggest, it served as the most dangerous post to the Hive, so it was constantly barraged with attacks from the changelings who worked under Chrysalis.

These 'raids,' as the rebels called them, were highly organized. With each raid, the more intelligent and thought out they became. Soon, it came to a point where the raids became so well planned, the members of the raid themselves started to play jokes on the places they were raiding.

The most prominent member of the raids was called Bug-Eyes. Fitting name, as it was only theorized that he could see 360 degrees all around him, as if he was truly gifted with bug eyes. He was respected well in the Hive, and it wasn't simply because of the theories about him. Bug-Eyes was the most dangerous member of the raids. In fact, he was even made second-in-command. Right after the previous one was executed for 'treason against the queen.' Though he did nothing of the sort, and the evidence was all for him, but Chrysalis didn't care, she just wanted Bug-Eyes to be second in command.

Bug-Eyes had himself an apprentice, one who he knew couldn't take part on the raids, but could plan them to the best he's ever seen. Even Chrysalis had to admit, his apprentice was amazing. The apprentice's name was Antenna, and he truly was the best planner in the Hive. He could figure out any raid, just based on general intel that he was given when he was planning the raids. He thought of every possible contingency, and he adapted to any other changes that took place in the raid team.

One of his most famous raids he planned was the raid that finally took down the Ponyville Resistance Base, or the PVRB. He managed to get two raid teams inside the walls, and disguise themselves and take out the guards before sending in the rest of the teams. The day the PVRB fell, the NCK was just rising to power.

The NCK, or the New Canterlot Kingdom, was a growing settlement of survivors from the PVRB, and a mix of other survivors just wanting to find some sort of sanctuary from the ever so growing Hive. It was protected by a somewhat-strong force field, allowing regular ponies to waltz in, yet not allowing changelings at the same time. The one weakness it has, is that any disguised changelings can also waltz in, but as a second line of defence, there are guard posts set up all throughout the kingdom.

These posts serve as a checkpoint, telling anypony who walks through that they need to perform a thorough examination. They check for any changeling-like features, and lets them pass through if they pass. Anyone who failed said examination, was killed on the spot. Despite all this, however, sometimes the defences would be breached, but it would be quickly contained. The NCK was growing bigger each day, and soon, it would become the biggest obstacle to the Hive.

Antenna himself had himself tons of apprentices, though he was quite young. When he got his protege, Mandible, he was only 9 years of age, and Mandible herself 10. It sounds weird, a younger changeling teaching an older one, but Mandible was trained to be in raiding parties, not planning. Antenna gave Mandible daily lessons, each day he taught her more about his methods of planning. One thing he constantly reminded her is how to properly set up a team, and he made sure it stuck in her head.

"One more time. Say we're raiding an area with at least 3 guards, 5 armed civilians, and 26 regular civilians." Antenna started. "Then say that we have two recruits, three regular soldiers, and a commander in the raid squad. What do we do now?" Mandible thought hard, before coming out with an answer.

"We… uh… send them around the back, trying to get as many guards out as possible? And then we uh… send half the team to round out the armed civilians, then go for the innocents?" Mandible answered questioningly, unsure if she had said the correct answer. Antenna nodded slightly, then moved one of the standby changelings and told them to call for Bug-Eyes.

"Good," Antenna said when he was finished, "I've just called down Bug-Eyes from his nap. Tell him the plan you have for that little village and make sure he hears every single detail." Antenna informed Mandible, who looked like she was going to burst with happiness. About as happy as a changeling could be of course, and it warmed Antennas body when he saw her like that. He couldn't tell why however, it just made him even more hungry than before.

He slowly got up from the table he was sitting on. He was smaller than the average changeling, with his wings being almost too small for flying, but he managed. He was also not muscular at all, in any case, he was frail, weak as a leaf. His eyes were a blue-greenish hue, resembling the Queens eyes. His horn was also somewhat different, with a small curvature difference than the others. He also had less holes on his body, though that could be because he was one of the first changelings to get his share of love, the only prominent holes on his legs and one on his flank. He was the… best looking one there.