Chapter 6 Equestria part 2

(Rayna POV)

The train ride to Canterlot was long and almost quiet due to Twilight and her friends constant chattering. I really wouldn't have minded it being quiet, it would have been nice. What else could I be able to do, a Pegasus with the flying capabilities of a filly most likely. Other than that, I just want to get this over with because I'm not sure how long I could last with Pinkie Pie around.

"Hey are you okay?" Kate asked, nudging my shoulder with her hoof.

"I'm fine," I said.

"You miss home do you?" Kate asked, "I know I do."

"Kinda, but I don't miss it that much," I said, "it's funny; I don't miss it at all."

"You'll be fine, right?" Kate asked.

"Don't worry about me okay," I said, "if all goes well, maybe we will get to go back home."

"It really doesn't sound like you want to go back though," Kate said.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't, I don't know," I said, "It really doesn't feel like I actually want to though, but I don't know, maybe home wasn't home."

"Now you've got to be joking," Kate said, "how could it never be home to you?"

"I don't know," I said looking out the window, "I always either felt alone or abandoned. You don't have to worry about me okay?"

"If you say so," Kate said as the train stopped in Canterlot.

When we stepped onto the platform a squadron of guards came to personally escort Kate and me to the castle, or just make sure we wouldn't run off or something. When we got there, it didn't seem like we were important to be escorted here at least until we entered the throne room with a regal alicorn with a flowing green, pink and blue mane and tail sitting on a throne while another that was a dark shade of blue with a flowing tail and mane that reminded me of the night side stood at one side while Twilight and her friends stood in front of the two.

"You two ponies would be the two new ponies that mysteriously wound up in Ponyville today," the one sitting on the throne said.

"Why would it matter to you?" Kate asked as calmly as she could, "we were just visiting for a day or two then we were going to leave."

"It is concerning for the safety of everypony that dwells in the day," the other alicorn said, "Where exactly are you two from?"

"I honestly think it doesn't concern the rulers of Equestria of where two ponies are from," I said not looking away from their examining gazes.

"Very well then, these two are most likely changelings, guards place these two in the dungeons enchanted to go against all forms of magic that exists in Equestria," the first alicorn said, "Make sure they have little to no access to any source of food no matter what it takes."

Confused as we were, we were taken down to the underground area underneath the castle where we were roughly thrown into a cell where there already was somepony else inside that didn't exactly look like the other ponies we had passed by so far. From what I could tell I could only assume this pony was female. Something other than fur had covered her skin while she did have a faded cutie mark as it seems to be she still seemed different. Her horn seemed to be bent and fangs were only slightly protruding out of her mouth while here wings were insect-like as holes seemed to be apparent in her legs and silvery-blue mane and tail. Uncertain of what to do, I was the first to approach her limp body.

"Excuse me if I'm bothering you, but are you okay?" I asked quietly while nudging her shoulder as softly as possible.

She woke up slowly as I saw her eyes' irises were a sapphire while the scleras were a powder blue. Her pupils did seem to be similar to the other ponies but she still seemed different for some odd reason. We introduced ourselves before she opened her mouth, appearing like she was observing us.

"You two aren't changelings, I know that," she said in a very soft yet rough voice that had a slight hint of an echo, "I can sense it. Did Celestia decide to throw you two down here or did somepony else?"

"We have no clue who Celestia is," Kate said bluntly.

"She was most likely the one sitting in the throne if you were in her throne room, her crown and necklace has a purple diamond-shaped gem in them," the apparently changeling said , "her sister's name is Luna."

"Why are we down here?" I asked, "Do you know?"

"For the past few days, Celestia has been possessed and has been attempting to catch every changeling possible to make sure their existence is forgotten," she said, "she'll be casting memory spells on everypony except for the certain few by using the magic of every changeling she captures by draining their magic and strength."

"Why would she do that?" Kate asked.

"I would assume it would have to do with past events," the changeling said, "There was a hive that technically attempted to take over Equestria, but not all hives are like that though."

"Really? So what is your hive like?" I asked.

"I was born in a seaside hive, the Airavata Hive, close to the southeastern coastal area of Equestria," the changeling said, "I was actually a pony/changeling hybrid, and the only one to have survived. I am the daughter of the Queen of my hive, Queen Manami. It didn't matter about how I was born; they celebrated my first birthday because I survived. We thrived by going to the seaside town nearby and helped anyone and in return without anypony knowing, we got the love or friendship we needed so we could survive. Unlike the others, I don't need much of either to survive, it's just if I have too much, I'd get sick and that usually never ends well."

"So then, do you have any suggestions on how to get out of here?" I asked.

"Not really, but from what I've heard, Celestia is going to execute us and drain away our magic before it dies with us," the changeling said, "I've heard that she's done it to another hive, the Iferna Hive, but it was their queen she executed when there was no heir to take her place. My mother once took me to the Iferna Hive to settle a trade alliance. The Iferna's medicine for the fish the Airavata often caught."

"What happened to the Iferna changelings?" Kate asked.

"Without a queen, many of them decided to break off from the Hive while others have been looking for a new queen to take the original queen's place. Many of them have forgotten how alliance had included that no matter what happens to either hives, the hive that has lost their queen would become an extension of the hive that still stands strong. So technically what was suppose to happen to the Iferna changelings was that they were to become the Iferna-Airavata changelings just as a select few of Airavata changelings moved to the Iferna territory," the changeling said, "However, I don't know how long it's been since Celestia caught me."

"Were there any other hives?" I asked.

"I knew of a few others, however only the queens of the hives know of the true number of hives that exist," the changeling said, "There's one known for making scents that could do things to your mind known as the Yoshika Hive. Then there's the hive known as the Tarpelite Hive who disguise themselves as gypsy ponies and collect their love or friendship by making miracles that last until they leave. The hive that all of Equestria knows of is Chrysalis's Hive by the ponies but by the changelings, it's known as the Akecheta Hive."

"What we need to do is escape," I said, "I think it's obvious enough that you're being used as bait to wipe out the Airavata Hive."

"I know that, but I've been getting weaker as time passes," the changeling said, "I'm glad you two came along, otherwise, I would have ended up dead sooner than expected."