Preserving the Hive (Jump-In)

[Snowcraft_Pony]

Starlight nodded at the ponies and flew after Cestrum.

[ChibiGrrl]

Cestrum arrived at the caves, dropping her disguise and walking inside the Dragon Pass.

[Snowcraft_Pony]

Luna did the same in turn.

[ChibiGrrl]

Cestrum took a seat inside the main chamber, sighing tiredly.
"The next supply drop should be coming sometime in the next two days. . .
we are running out of ingredients for the love elixir." she muttered.

[Snowcraft_Pony]

"Can we afford to stay here?" Luna asked suddenly.

[ChibiGrrl]

Cestrum turned to her friend, "We can. . .as long as the supplies are dropped off regularly
and the Pony-folk tolerate our presence here. That said, I am surprised that they accepted your presence outside the Everfree so calmly." she replied.

[Snowcraft_Pony]

"But our supply lines are failing! Also, before you those nice ponies showed up I was being dragged into town IN A NET!" Luna replied angrily.

[ChibiGrrl]

Cestrum raised an eyebrow at Luna Lily, "I see, were you spotted and caught by soldiers then?
Surely they would have found it difficult to discern your true form if you were in disguise?" she replied.

[Snowcraft_Pony]

"I caught in a timberwolf trap..." Luna explained showing the injured hoof to her friend.

[ChibiGrrl]

Cestrum peered at her friend's wound closely, then looked up at her friend sadly.
"I am sorry my friend, you should not have been injured this way. . . I thought that the Pony-folk were too afraid to enter the forest. I shall request that medicinal supplies be sent over with the next shipment, even if I must speak to the Princess myself." she said softly.

[Snowcraft_Pony]

"I-I should be fine... But it stings..." Luna commented as she sat down.

[ChibiGrrl]

"You mentioned being dragged into town, was it the same Pony-folk who had set the trap?"
Cestrum asked, her eyes narrowed at the thought of their kind hurting her friends.

[Snowcraft_Pony]

"Probably..." Luna replied as she looked over the chamber.

[ChibiGrrl]

"The black stallion, Commander Checkmate, advises us to stop our fortifying the caves.
But I shall make extra patrols of the Everfree, and put an end to their traps." Cestrum suggested.

[Snowcraft_Pony]

Luna nodded in reply.

[ChibiGrrl]

"While I am away, is there anything else you would like me to do?"
Cestrum asked, wanting to do something useful for Luna Lily.

[Dark Hooves]

After failing to meet up with Princess Twilight, Zira teleports back to the cave entrance and walks inside releasing her disguise.

I guess I will have another chance to meet up with her. She sighs.

//green=Akira, pink=Zira

[Snowcraft_Pony]

Luna sighed. "No thank you, Cestrum."

[ChibiGrrl]

Cestrum nodded and turned away, trotting quickly through the Dragon Pass to the exit of the caves.
She spread her wings and took flight, hovering low over the Everfree Forest that shrouded them from Ponyville.

[Checkmate]

A guard was pulling a cart full of supplies through the forest, mumbling.  He dropped it off by the hive and quickly ran, creeped out.