//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Brother of Loyalty // by Prismfire Productions //------------------------------// That night after I had fallen asleep I found myself floating in a void without any sense of direction. At first I thought that Princess Luna was playing a trick on me but a voice, one that I did not know but at the same time did, threw that idea out the window. "Hello Queen Cloud Dasher...." The voice said in a tone that was like a mother comforting one of her foals, which made me slightly relax and a little at ease. "How do you know my name?" I replied with intreage. As soon as I asked my question the landscape around me changed, I know found myself at the top of a mountain overlooking a lush valley below. The sun that was in the sky actually produced warmth, making the whole experience seem even more real as a figure appeared in front of me. The figure was a changeling queen, there was no doubt about that from her height and posture and I noticed she had to be old from how many scars were all over her chitin from numourous battles over the years. "I know all my little changelings Queen Dasher," The queen said while brushing a lock of her mahogany mane out of her face. "and I just want to welcome you to our species. I am sorry that Queen Chrysalis put this through this ordeal forcefully but think of the upside, you can use my magic..." It took less than 3 seconds for her last words to fully register and my jaw dropped as I bowed. "Forgive me for seeming like a scardy-ling Mother Changeling, I am just a little nervous..." "At ease Queen Dasher since it is perfectly fine, now you may be wondering if you are asleep and are dreaming this. The answer is yes to the first but no to the second, you are dreaming but everything around us is very much real, that is why you can feel the sun's rays keeping you warm. Now to get to my purpose of this little visit, I have been dead for a millennia, passing away shortly after Princess Luna got banished to the moon, but something brought my essence back. Somehow you can use my magic, which supersedes the other queens, and I am going to help guide you to your full potential with it." "It will be an honor to learn under you Mother Changeling, I hope that I will not fail you." I said feeling, finally, relaxed. "You seem like a very kind and loving mare, more than any other queen that I knew besides myself, but there is something else that is unique about you I want to address. You probably know that changelings need love to survive correct?" I nodded so she continued. "The reason changelings feed on love is whereas others can love our species, we can only love each other, the love taken from other species is converted by queens and channeled through the Hive Mind to feed their drones. That is the normal case anyway...." Her voice trailing off at the end of her speech got my attention. "You said "normal case", is there an exception to the rule?" "You are the exception, you produce love for your fiancée, even with me not being alive I can feel the love you got for her rolling off you in waves just standing here and you thinking about her. That shows the love is unconditional and you should consider yourself lucky since as long as you two love each other you nor the nymphs you lay will ever go hungry....for now anyway....Changeling Queens are the equivalent of Alicorns, we can live forever unless we suffer a fatal injury or get terminly ill, I myself died from an obsideon laced spear right to the heart. You can live forever, your fiancée on the other hoof cannot, not in her current state anyway." "I am aware of that fact Mother Changeling, that is why I am now more thankful for every second I have with her, but what do you mean by "current state"?"" "You could make her your co-queen over your hive, that way you two could potentially spend enternity together. There is a catch, not only will you need a unanimous vote from the other queens, she has to be pure of heart and actually WANT to be a changeling. What I mean is she can't just want to be a changeling just for you, she would want to be one in her heart and accept the responsibility that comes with it. She would want to try and do her part for the betterment of the hive." "Oh I am sure she would want that." I spun around to see that my Aunt Pinkie had said that as she came bouncing up to me and the First Mother, who had a look of pure shock on her face. "How can a non changeling queen enter this space without dying....You are a pegasus so you should be dead little missy for being here." "This is my Aunt Pinkie, one thing you have to learn about her is don't question anything she does, she is the onlypony I know that can break the very laws of physics, even Discord himself can't argue with her." "I reject your physics and substitute my own." Pinkie said with her trademark smile. "Now this is a pretty cool space, not as colorful as it should be but I can fix that." Next thing me and the First Mother knew there were balloons everywhere and a dance floor, disco ball, and turn tables appeared in front of us out of nowhere. There wasn't much that Pinkie could do that would catch me off guard anymore, but this was one of the very few times where she did. "Sure you aren't a queen?" The First Mother asked still stunned. "Queen of Parties maybe," Pinkie replied as she started some music before coming back over to us. "but as far as a changeling queen no I'm not. Now as far as Phoenix is concerned...." Pinkie then hovered and got up right by the First Mother's ear and started to whisper to her in a way so I couldn't hear. The First Mother's reaction was priceless, her eyes widened and jaw went slack as a blush shone on her chitin strong enough to put Big Mac's coat to shame. "Does that answer your question?" Pinkie asked as she landed. "Umm....yeah......tha-that does...." "Do I even want to know?" I asked seeing that the First Mother was stunned into near silence. "You'll find out if Phoenix becomes a queen." Pinkie said with a subtle wink and when I looked around all the party stuff had disappeared. "Anyways, I am going to go mess with Luna for a bit, see you when you wake up Cloud." She gave me a kiss on the cheek before disappearing into a bush. "Glad she isn't a queen...I don't think our species could handle her...Anyways, since you will be waking soon let me part with this, let's touch horns so I can transfer my essence into your brain so you can have a jumpstart on the knowledge for my magic." The First Mother said when things seemed "normal" again, but we couldn't help but notice the cotton candy clouds that were scattered in the sky. "As you wish." I said as she touched my horn and I immediately felt stronger and smarter before waking up. I looked at the room around me and saw that Pinkie and Luna were the only two still asleep, with Pinkie having a smirk on her face and Luna's was tensed in horror. "You ready for the two of us to head out Cloud?" Queen Chrysalis asked when I was fully awake. "You mean three since I'm coming as well..." Phoenix said with a soft growl as she glared at Chrysalis. "You can't, non-lings can't come." "She is coming and that is an ORDER Chrysalis, her being my fiancée makes her an honorary princess so therefore she can." "You mean Phoenix is your wife Cloud..." Princess Celestia said as she presented a document with her magic and, after a short ceremony and signing the license, I put it safely away. "The other queens are not going to like this at all..." Chrysalis stated before teleporting me, Phoenix, and herself to a cavern that was guarded by 20 heavily armored changelings. "State your business." The head guard barked. "You know who I am since I have you guarding my chambers Buck..." Chrysalis snarled as me and Phoenix snickered at his name. "The two that are with me are Queen Cloud Dasher and her wife Honorary Princess Phoenix Cloud Starburster." I did a double take to the point I pulled the marriage license out of my body pocket and stared, sure enough Phoenix had taken my first name as her middle. "So Cloud is your heir huh?" Buck said with a smirk. "Then why is she fully grown?" "Notice she said "Queen" not "Princess"..." I calmly said making him gulp. "You all may proceed, but the others are going to be pissed off seeing a pegasus sitting into the meeting." "Let me worry about that Buck." Phoenix sneered as she passed him and went in behind me and Chrysalis, who was on point since I didn't know where to go, down into the depths of the cave. After walking what seemed like hours we entered the chamber where the other queens were gathered, and all of them immediately got up to jump Phoenix until I held them in place with my magic. "If any of you touch a single hair on her I will turn you into dust...." Their eyes widened at the color of my magic and I set them down before each of them bowed and asked for mercy, which I granted as long as they guaranteed Phoenix's safety. "Now my fellow changelings...we have much to discuss...." I said as me, Phoenix, and Chrysalis sat down and the council was called into session.