I didn't wake until the following day and, despite sleeping for nearly 19 hours, I still felt like I got run over by a train. I slowly climbed out of bed and after taking my shower I made my way to the throne room where I was hoping Celestia would be there so I could atleast have somepony to talk to but I was stopped at the door by Flash Sentry. "Halt! You are trespassing on the grounds of the royal sisters of Canterlot you evil bug, now I suggest you come along to the dungons quietly where you will wait to be interrogated by Princess Celestia herself since your kind is not welcome here.."
"Oh is that so?" Flash nearly jumped out his armor when he saw that Queen Chrysalis had said that as she and Phoenix trotted up to me and him. "I am under the rules of parlay so unless you want a full blown diplomatic situation on your hooves I suggest you leave her alone." She finished in a daring tone that made Flash slightly shudder but he did not back down.
"You might be under the rules of parlay but this pest isn't so she is coming with me." He said tapping his spear on my side as backup arrived to make sure I complied. I hissed and vibrated my wings in displeasure but before I could do anything Phoenix had already started pounding him into the marble floor in a fit of rage and it took 7 guards, me, and Chrysalis to pry her off the wounded Captain of the Guard who was instantly carried to the infirmary. "Dame Phoenix Starburster, you are hereby under arrest for aggrivated assault and battery, how do you plead and what is your defense?" Flash's next-in-command, Silver Shadow, asked.
"Guilty as a whore at a church confessional and as for my defense he tapped my wife with his spear. Nopony gets away with harming her and still can walk, fly, or cast spells straight by the time I get done with them...." Phoenix replied with a snarl but mine and Chrysalis' more sensitive hearing picked up on a slight underlying hiss with it that we both made a mental note of for later. It took several seconds but when her words finally registered all the guards' jaws dropped and they stared at me in disbelief.
"That is you Cloud Dasher?" Silver asked and when I nodded I changed into my pegasus disguise briefly to show it was actually me before changing back to my changeling form as a look of absolute embarrassment crossed the old stallion's muzzle. "In that case my apologizes to you both Dame Phoenix and Sire Cloud Dasher and consider the charges against you Phoenix dropped."
"It's QUEEN Cloud Dasher now....." I said correcting him before clearing my throat. "Now can I please enter to talk to Princess Celestia? I don't think she would take to kind that a friend of hers was being kept from her presence now would she..."
Silver gulped and bowed. "You may enter Queen Cloud Dasher." He then opened the door and me, Chrysalis, and Phoenix went in before he shut the door behind us.
"Glad to see you are awake Cloud, how do you feel?" Celestia said without even looking at me since she was concentrating on the chess match she was currently having with Fluttershy, and by the looks of it, she was losing.
"Feels like I went through Tartarus and back again but other than that I am fine. I was wondering something, who has jurisdiction over the caves beneath the Crystal Empire, you or Cadance?"
"Believe it or not they are actually Lulu's, why do you ask?" She questioned as she moved her rook to put Fluttershy in check but it was taken out by Flutter's bishop.
"I got a problem, a proposition I made for more suitable environmental conditions to start my hive fell into a tie so it will not be brought back up until the next meeting. Since I will start laying before then I got no place to go.."
"Well Queen Dasher what area were they going to give you and what did you suggest?" Celestia said making what appeared to be a safe move but instead pinned her king with nowhere else to go. "Dang it I checkmated myself...good game Fluttershy, same time next week?"
The yellow pegasus nodded. "Sounds good to me, now if I may can I sit in on this discussion for a third opinion if needed?"
"Good idea Flutters." I said with a smile before addressing Celestia. "Now to answer your questions, they were going to give me the desert; seeing as my hive would quickly die out, I suggested me getting a small area of lush ideal lands right in the middle of the territories so my hive could be a "capital" of sorts."
"That is where you messed up, you were trying to think like a pony, my advice in that regard is to start thinking like a changeling. In otherwords, instead of playing with fire, BE the fire to keep not only the status quo but also see what will work out best for everyling." The four of us just stared at the timid mare, who quickly withdrew herself. "Did...did I say something wrong?.."
"Not at all, it is just that is really sound advice for Cloud and I think we are just a little surprised that you got that point across in that manner and she might have needed to hear that." Chrysalis stated.
"Yeah I did, and I just hope Princess Luna allows me to use the caves as a hive. It is not ideal due to the snow but I would have one major advantage since being so close to the Crystal Heart will keep my drones full. I also hope Shining and Cadance won't boot me out of the Empire and instead forge a treaty with me...."
Celestia smiled. "You know Cloud, you haven't started laying yet but I can already tell you will make a fine queen. You are wanting what is best for your hive's survival and are already thinking of their betterment in addition to wanting treaties forged. It takes a true leader to show love and compassion for their subjects and yet keep a strong face to defend them and I consider it an honor to have you as an ally. You may have been born as one of my little ponies, but deep down you have always had the fire and determination of a Changeling Queen and that will ensure your hive's survival. Now there is something concerning you Phoenix, have you noticed anything different about you?"
"Other than the fact I feel more lonelier than normal when I am not around Cloud and have had a constant headache since yesterday nothing really, why do you ask?"
I didn't even give Celestia a chance to answer as a cold sweat started to pour from me like a waterfall. "That is love starvation you are feeling......" I said in a dry tone with a look of primal fear on my face. "You are becoming a changeling, me and Chrysalis noted earlier when you growled there was a hiss with it and what you just said only confirms it. The headache can be explained as your horn growing in, keep in mind, you are married to a queen so you are becoming a queen yourself. The fact you injested my ichor yesterday must have impacted your DNA and it is converting you in order to keep you from getting ill....or worse...."
"How long you think before I convert?" Phoenix asked in a level curious tone and I could feel no fear coming from her, making me mentally smile at how brave she was being and taking this in stride concerning the news she just got.
"I have no idea, but you have two options in this matter, either let it run its course or have Chryssy use the same spell she used on me and become her heir." I stated but Chrysalis quickly shot that idea down.
"Can't be over more than one hive at a time Cloud, if I were to do that then you and Phoenix would have to get a divorice, so the right thing to do is to let it run its course. This is beneficial to you both however, the love you two have for each other can be spread through your hive's Hive Mind once she fully converts and the two of you start laying eggs. I am not going to lie, you two have the potential to become the most powerful hive and that is no doubt going to cause trouble amoungst the other queens."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, won't we Queen Phoenix Cloud Starburster?" I said nuzzling my wife.
"Indeed so Queen Cloud Dasher." She said with a warm grin but a guard busting into the room completely ruined, not only the moment, but killed everyone's mood.
"We got a problem your highness...." That was all the colt said as she handed me a scroll, which I quickly opened and instantly realized it was written in ichor.
"Queen Cloud Dasher, consider the fact this is written in Queen Valandrus' ichor your warning since far, far worse will be done to you than I did to her...." That was all the note said and Chrysalis had a look of horror on her muzzle as I burned the note with my magic.
"Now the old ruler's dead...long live the queen..." I softly said in a slightly sing-song like tone before anger took over. "So, whoever has a problem with me is taking out the queens allied with me first huh? Well, they are about to learn a lesson the hard way....
NEVER piss off the True Changeling Queen...."