They're EVERYWHERE!

Finale: 2/3

Time loses all meaning when faced with the eternal battle, but eventually, 387's prayers are answered by a series of loud cracks from behind.

"SCATTER!" orders 156, "Drones, dig up and towards the center of the leg as quickly as you can now or you'll get crushed!"

The fighting changelings kick the nearest fakes away and cover their heads instead of attacking, before bursting through the wall of enemies just in time.

Tantabus' foreleg crumbles around the knee under its weight, making the titan stumble and fall down on the stump as its other foreleg fails to keep it upright.

"YOU..."

"Generic evil monologue is generic," mutters 387, flying through the cloud of dust raised by the Tantabus' fall to one knee. One foreleg knee, technically, since its hind legs are untouched.

"Drones?" 156 pings the hive links to check everyone's status due to zero visibility.

"We're all inside one big hole in the leg. We're a bit squished but alright!" reports 10013.

"Then start digging upwards. You're clearly doing damage!"

"More digging?"
"Yessss!"
"I was born for this!"
"We all were!"
"Don't steal my thunder!"
"I don't even know what that means and I feel insulted!"

156 stops listening to the bickering, because by now she knows they'll follow her orders no matter what. Now, all the high ranks have to do now is use the cover of dust to-

She doesn't know what hit her, and the feelings of chaos and panic coming from all the other links tell her she's not alone. It's... painfully similar to being blasted away by the explosion in Canterlot, down to the tumbling and spinning in the air. Thankfully, this time she has the love and presence of mind to stabilize herself in the suddenly clear air.

I must have been a shockwave originating from the Tantabus that's thrown them in all directions and cleared the dust cloud. The fakes are still flying away too, unable to recover as quickly and vanishing into thin air after reaching a certain distance.

Links... check. Everyone is alive and approaching.

"AAAAAAAAARGH!"

From her position near the hill where she and 387 originally landed, she can see Tantabus point its horn at its 'droned' foreleg. A beam of light follows, cutting it off near the barrel like a laser, before telekinetically lobbing the way of the changelings regrouping towards her.

"What's going on?"
"What's happeniiiiiiing?!"
"I dunno which way's up anymore!"
"I'm gonna goop myself!"
"Blurrgh- I think I already did!"

"BRICK MODE, NOW!" 387's mental scream drowns everything else.

"Did he mean us?"
"I think so."
"Hey, how does he know about brick mode?"
"I thought that was a secret!"
"Shut up and brick!" 10013 cuts the responses off.

The chunk of starry leg lands, leaving a deep groove in the ground. When it stops moving, it dissolves, leaving only drones dropping on the ground, each one curled up into the tightest ball it can.

One by one, they look up when all the movement seems to stop, ears perked.

"What? Why are we here? Weren't we inside the Tanto thingy?"
"I think it tried to play drone ball with us."
"Nah, we're not hurt or missing any bits..."
"Or are we, huh?"
"No, we're not. Are you?"
"No. I just wanted to sound smart."