They're EVERYWHERE!

65536: 6

Knocking on the door makes all three turn their heads.

Sharp drops the changeling on the bed and peeks outside. After a few hushed words, he lets a blond-maned head of a bronze unicorn peek inside. 65536 waves at him, eagerly waiting for an answer which doesn't come.

"Princess," says the unicorn, "We found one - a brothel worker. It- she seems to be well-liked by all her coworkers. On top of that, one of her friends seems to know a high-ranked Royal Guard who knew about the changeling before and vouched for them both. I could use your truth-telling ability to figure out if it's not just a long con."

Shaking her head, Luna points at Sharp.

"You have a good instinct for lies, Blazing. Take Sharp with you and interrogate the changeling. I have something more pressing on my plate right now," she nods her head towards 65536.

"As you wish, princess," the unicorn leaves.

"Do you need anything else, Luna?" asks Sharp.

"Send Shady Glen in," she replies, "I don't doubt for a second he's eager to see what's been happening in here tonight. Midnight Cloak will stay alone on door duty. The official story is that in light of the invasion, I decided to have a guard close for tonight."

Sharp knows Luna and the elite members of the Nightguard too well to ask if she's sure about that. He leaves and instructs one of the two door guards to go inside and not breathe a word to anyone about anything he's going to see.

As the door closes behind Shady Glen, the batpony's eyes stop on the chitinous form sitting on the bed.

"What is that, Your Highness?"

"That's what We want to figure out, Shady," Luna takes a deep breath and her horn lights up with an eerie teal glow, "Keep an eye on both of us."

She lies down, the glow envelops 65536 who lets out a squeaky yawn, and before it can turn its head around to look for Not-Blue, the heaviness of its body makes it curl up by Luna's hind legs and fall asleep within seconds.

***

When 65536 opens its eyes, it is standing in a room that could rival the breeding caverns in size, though it's far more rectangular than the common jagged domes back in the hive. Parts of the ceiling are missing, showing grey clouds up in the sky. A balcony overlooking the throne ahead is inaccessible due to both staircases on the sides of the room having collapsed who knows when.

It's so beautifully quiet, almost like in the good old days of digging a fresh tunnel on its own. After resting in the peaceful silence for a few moments, 65536 decides to have a look around, starting with the massive wooden gate behind it.

It gives way under the drone's push, the wing breaks off of its rusty hinges, and with glacial slowness it falls over and slides down a short set of stairs on the other side leading into an empty black void.

"Huuuh," is all 65536 has to say. The world is a complicated place for a little drone, so spending too much time on details isn't really worth it, "Not-Blue?" it calls out.

There's no answer other than a strange whisper of wind from behind. Where there was nothing before, there now stands a tall, faintly familiar equine shape seemingly filled with what to 65536 looks like the night sky.

"What brings you here, little creature?" it asks in a booming voice.

"Dunno," 65536 shrugs, "I just suddenly felt sleepy and now I'm here."

That seems to give the being a pause.

"You do not seem worried."

"Nope."