“What do you want, Queen Bumble?”
Queen Bumble munched on one of the clover flowers, looking thoughtful. “That is an intriguing question.”
“Spare us the monologue, please.” Luna rolled her eyes. “I have heard enough self-indulgent villainous rambling today to last me a lifetime.”
“Hmph.” Queen Bumble leaned forward in her beeswax throne. As she did so, Luna felt the wax abode lift into the air and start moving. “You always were the ruder of the two.”
“In case you've not heard, I have been gone of late. I don't believe we've ever met. And if my sister imprisoned you, that is hardly—”
“Certainly not.” The bee-like creature's piggish eyes narrowed. “We have respected the terms of the Sunstone Treaties for twenty-three generations. And regardless, I would not be pursuing revenge if I had been imprisoned.”
Luna's eyebrows rose. “Really?”
“Hmph!” The Queen sucked the last of the nectar from her bouquet and threw the blackened flowers aside. Immediately another bouquet was thrust into her arms. “Too many villai—er, non-morally-motivated entrepreneurs—concern themselves with the past.”
She waved the flowers in the air. “We Bumbles focus on the here and now. That's how we've kept the kingdoms in order and it's why I'm here amongst this...rabble.” She gestured to the exit. Luna noticed a yellow curtain had been placed over the entranceway to block prying eyes. “I had a feeling I'd be able to catch you in the act. Invading neutral territory with a champion—”
“Must everypony insist on using that term—”
“—and in direct opposition to the wishes of the Ruler of Tartarus, I've no doubt.” Queen Bumble smirked, crossing four of her six arms (or were they legs? Luna had never really understood the anatomy of the dire bees).
Luna sighed, taking a step forward. Immediately Bumble's eyes flashed. One of her antennas gave a twitch and Luna stopped short as the two bees closest to Bumble swung spears to intercept.
Luna eyed the spears, heart sinking. “Your many-greats grandmother would never have approved of this distrust. I remember a time when Equestria and the Bee Nations were allies.”
Queen Bumble sucked at her bouquet in silence.
“What changed?” Fluttershy asked.
Queen Bumble shrugged.
“Queen Bumble.” Luna looked up at the ceiling, shaking her head. “You might as well answer Fluttershy. She is friend to all living things and I know not what justification there is for being rude to her.”
Queen Bumble raised an eyebrow. After appearing to consider this, she lowered the bouquet. “Oh, fine. For the sake of my dearly beloved 'many-greats' grandmother.”
She fell silent. The Queen began to tremble.
Luna's eyes widened as she realized the obese bee...was standing up. Not even Queen Bumble the Fifth—a good friend of Clover the Clever's—had been this rotund, and she had only left her throne once to escape Discord.
Queen Bumble loomed over Luna and Fluttershy, pursing her lips. “What changed, you ask? The moon shone two hours too long.”
Luna groaned.
“Besides which, things change simply as years go by.” Queen Bumble gave a little half-chuckle. “You understand this is all Luna's fault, I should hope?”
Luna gritted her teeth. “If the purpose of this is just to—”
“I am speaking.” Queen Bumble shot a glare at Luna, then looked back at Fluttershy. She sat back in her chair. “That's what changed. Everything except her. And that's why we should escort her back to Equestria before she has the chance to start a war.”
“You don't get it, though,” Fluttershy said. “The war's here. Grogar is going to take over everything!”
Bumble sniffed. “Well, as long as I am unaffected, why should we trouble ourselves over it?”
Fluttershy hesitated. She looked at Luna. “B-because it would be wrong?”
“That depends on your definition. Things are not always so simple as they appear, pony.”
Fluttershy frowned. “But sometimes they are, aren't they?”
“So childish.”
“But they are.”
Queen Bumble arched an eyebrow. “What do you think to accomplish by all this?”
Fluttershy pointed to the exit. “They were all locked up for reasons. What Grogar is doing is mean. You just want an excuse to do the wrong thing, but if you're going to do the wrong thing at least have the integrity to admit it.”
Queen Bumble grimaced. She looked between Fluttershy and Luna. “You wound me with your truths, pony.”
Everyone was silent for a moment.
“Wait, is that it?” Luna's head cocked. “You admit to being wrong?”
Queen Bumble shrugged. “How am I supposed to argue with logic? Much as I'd like to dispute it, Equestria must stand.” She waved a leg. “I give you leave to go.”
“That's not enough!” Luna snapped. All eyes turned to her. She took a deep breath. “I apologize. But we need to be taken behind the hordes and you may well be our best chance.”
“Why should we take such a risk?”
Luna stomped her hoof. My patience is gone. “If we are to fail, Grogar's quest for vengeance will eventually lead him to the Crystal Empire. The Empire is nearly as difficult to capture as Canterlot. Do you truly believe he will not attempt to overcome all possible threats around the kingdom beforehand?”
“We do not—”
“And if we win...” Luna leaned closer. “I will see to it that your nation pays for putting ours at risk. Dearly.”
Queen Bumble dropped her bouquet, staring in shock. “You have been gone a long time. Your ponies are no longer prepared for war. Idle threats will not impress us.”
“War comes whether or not one is prepared.”
“Hey!” Fluttershy waved a hoof in front of Luna's face, as if to snap her out of a trance. “What are you doing?”
“What must be done. When diplomacy fails, action must follow. If the bees will not help us—”
“Then they've done nothing wrong!” Luna looked at Fluttershy. To her surprise, Fluttershy was glaring. “If we can't convince them to help, we have to find another way. You can't force them to help, Princess. That's just as wrong as what Grogar is doing!”
Though she was hurt, Luna scoffed. “It is difficult to make an omelet—”
“Without murdering some baby birds, I know. It doesn't matter. It's wrong.”
“You could never understand, Fluttershy. But do not intervene.” Luna hesitated. “It is...treason to contradict a Princess during diplomatic talks.”
“So this is how the Princess of the Night handles her subjects.” Queen Bumble sounded amused. “Like a medieval warlord. Like an elementary school bully.”
Luna's eye twitched as she spun to face the Queen. “I have not had any sleep for a week and I do not plan on standing for this. However,” she shot a vicious look at Fluttershy, “as it seems I am the only being here with priorities, I will be forced to make my own way.”
She started towards the exit, then glanced back. “But if I leave this honeycomb, there will be consequences, Bumble. Are you prepared to face them?”
Queen Bumble looked at Luna, then gave a long, weary sigh. “This comb has been in motion since you entered. Where do you think we have been going?”
Luna stared back at Queen Bumble. Heart filled with dread, she poked her head past the curtain.
They had stopped right next to a hill. In the hill was a dark cave. At the cave's back was a great iron door.
“This has been an illuminating conversation,” Queen Bumble called as Luna got out. “A pleasure, as always.”