They're EVERYWHERE!

156, 387: 4

Hmmm, no hostilities yet...

1988 quietly follows the pony carrying 9999 through the forest. So far, it seems that the ponies working around here haven't received the news about the changeling invasion of Canterlot, nor the following takeover of Riverside.

*Rustle rustle*

As an infiltrator, albeit one of a rather low rank, 1988 has enough self-control to barely twitch his ear at the noise, and he keeps following the duo, carefully stepping over branches and using the soft grass to mask his hoofsteps.

*Rustle*

Whoever or whatever is following him is far from being as stealthy, but openly looking around would certainly lead to the situation escalating and, no matter what anyone might say, without a good supply of love, infiltrators aren't that much better at fighting than drones, mostly due to being even more fragile.

Following the trampled path leading north, 9999 keeps riding on the axe pony's back and turning its head like a lighthouse.

"Oooh! Why is that tree white and striped?"

"It's a zebra tree," replies the pony.

"Neeeeat!" 9999 grins.

In the safe distance, 1988 facehoofs.

"Hey, that tree tripped and fell over!" 9999 points ahead into the distance as loud rumbling cuts through the otherwise quiet forest.

"Good eyes," the axe pony nods.

"Thanks, I hatched with those!"

The pony takes a deep breath, prepping to say something before simply shaking his head and breathing out.

"So what were you doing back there with your friend?" asks 9999.

"Getting the felled trees ready for transport," replies the axe pony, "We cut down the trees, chop the branches off, and drag them to the camp."

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?"

"Do the trees... taste good?" 9999's eyes go wide as he adds with suspicion, "Has 36658 been right all along?"

"Uhhh, we don't eat wood, we make stuff from it. Houses, furniture, too many things to name."

"Really? Those I saw in that city on the side of the mountain were made of this weird rock-non-rock."

"Side of the... do you mean Canterlot?"

Hearing that, 1988's eyes go wide as he forces open a hive link into 9999's head and screams mentally:

"DON'T TELL THEM WE ATTACKED THEIR CAPITAL CITY, YOU IDIOT!"

He definitely wasn't expecting the following bout of nausea that sends him to his knees and then on the forest floor. Too little love for too long.

9999 bolts upright from his casual lounging position on the axe pony's back, quickly thinking of solutions.

"N-Nooo..." he says carefully, "It wasn't that, it was... umm... Can-umm-little, yeah Canumlittle. And everything there wasn't from gold and those weird fake rocks I wasn't just talking about."

Yesss, saved!

"So..." the axe pony slows down, "What were you doing in that Can- not-Canterlot?"

"Oh? We flew in, landed on a roof, crawled through a hole leading into this house thing, we came out completely covered in black stuff. 55648 even found a singing box! Oh! And I found a button that made a ball shiny, that was awesome! We could look at it for hours but those spiky ponies were coming so we had to crawl back out through the hole to the roof."