A mind nearly devoid of thought drifted through a sea of murky water. Time held no meaning in this empty, watery expanse that had occupied the mind's awareness for as long as it could remember. Every so often, a memory would flitter through its consciousness. Sometimes a face, or a name, or a long lost place. Whatever meaning they once held had been washed away by time.
Except for one. A great, formless beast that brought with it great pain. The mind was grateful that particular memory rarely showed itself. Yet, the featureless void was beginning to shift, and change. A concept began to form, a notion that the mind was female, though she did not know what this meant. The water had always been a soothing orange color. A part of her remembered that water shouldn't be orange, but she found no reason to concern herself with that. Even so, the orange hue was growing more intense with each passing moment.
Suddenly, a thousand voices echoed through her consciousness. At first, the mind recoiled, frightened by this new experience. It was like an unintelligible murmur, floating just beyond her awareness. She felt the voices calling to her, welcoming her, embracing her. Slowly, she relaxed, and slid into the background noise, letting it permeate around herself. The mind did not understand what the voices were saying, but they emanated warmth and safety. She belonged with the voices, and they belonged with her.
Slowly, an intelligible thought bubbled up through the chorus of voices. Wake up, they said. She was confused. Wake up. A jolt lanced through her mind, and the water became a bright, vivid orange.
Wake up, Twilight Sparkle.
The purple mare’s eyes shot open. She was suspended in an orange, viscous liquid. Instinctively, she tried to gasp for air, but was already breathing that same orange substance. Part of her was terrified of being encased in a chrysalis. She didn’t know how she knew she was encased in a chrysalis, but that didn’t concern her right now. Instinctively, her mind reached out to the chorus echoing through her subconscious, and found comfort in their warm embrace. Slowly, her fears were calmed by their soothing presence.
A single command rose up through the murmurs, a voice she felt absolutely compelled to obey.
Break free.
Twilight hesitated, trying to figure out how to do that.
A few seconds later, a second command emanated from the voice. Do not think. Act!
Compelled to obey, Twilight braced her back legs against one side of the chrysalis and thrust her head forward with all her might. She heard a loud crack as her horn tore through the outer lining of hardened wax, sending cracks through the chrysalis. Instinct took over, and she pulled her head back down and thrust it up again, smashing through the weakened shell. Instead of taking in a large gulp of air, her first act was to retch the orange liquid from her lungs. She slumped onto the side of the egg, heaving, until she was at last able to breathe freely.
Once she had recovered her strength, Twilight’s hooves broke down the rest of her chrysalis. She stumbled out of it, still disoriented, and collapsed on top of a growing pool of orange fluid, with her legs splayed outward.
A tall, grey figure stood several feet away, watching as Twilight freed herself from the egg. “Well done, Twilight Sparkle.” The purple hatchling turned towards the figure as it walked up to her. An unspoken feeling bubbled up from the chorus in her mind, telling her exactly who this was. “Do you know who I am?”
“You are my Queen - Queen Cadista,” she replied, with a hint of reverence. A part of her felt it was wrong to say that, but she didn’t know why.
The matriarch nodded with a warm smile as she bent down to help Twilight stand, lifting her with her forelegs. “Very good, my child. Are you feeling well?”
Twilight was captivated by her queen’s appearance. She was tall, as tall as one of the pearly white faces that kept dancing through her fractured memories. Cadista had grey fur, small holes in her extremities, and possessed a vivid orange mane and tail. Her baby blue eyes had reptilian slits, but they held a mix of compassion, sadness, and hope. The hatchling realized her queen was waiting for her to speak. “I am a little tired, but I believe I am whole.”
“That is perfectly natural and will fade shortly. Do you know what you are?” Cadista asked with gentle concern.
The question caught Twilight off guard, and her first answer died on her lips. She twisted her head around to look at herself. She possessed a familiar lavender coat, which had an abundance of sticky orange liquid stubbornly clinging to her fur. Her tail had a deeper shade of purple with a pink and orange stripe in it. Something about the orange color seemed off, but Twilight ignored it. She also had a pair of deep crimson, translucent, gossamer wings that buzzed lightly upon being regarded. Upon her flank was a six pointed purple starburst with five smaller orange starbursts surrounding it. She noticed it was the same shade of orange that Cadista possessed.
“I am a changeling, my queen,” she replied as though it were common sense.
“Good. Your connection with the hive mind is strong enough to grant basic knowledge. That is why you know these things.”
“Hive mind?” queried Twilight, “Is that what you call those voices I hear?”
Cadista turned towards the exit. “Walk with me, Twilight Sparkle. I will answer any questions you have, but we must get you cleaned up.”
Feeling strong enough to walk, the purple changeling obeyed. “Yes, my queen.”
As the pair started moving, Twilight studied the hatchery she was in more closely. Aside from the orange egg she had escaped from, there were twenty more, precisely positioned to maximize space in the medium-sized room. However, all of the other eggs were grey, and only half of them concealed an occupant.
Cadista could tell her charge was distracted by her surroundings and elevated her voice just enough to return Twilight’s attention back to her. “To answer your question, Twilight,” the young mare’s face whipped back to listen to her queen. “The answer is yes. All the changelings under my domain are connected to the hive mind.” Immense pride colored her voice as she spoke. “Our hive mind has been tailored over many generations to grant unity and improve cooperation without suffocating the listener’s personality. Seeing how countries outside of ours operate, I have found letting drones have individuality to be greatly beneficial.”
Through the intricate web of the hive mind, Cadista sensed Twilight accept her words as irrefutable fact. “What do you remember before your rebirth, Twilight?”
For several seconds, Twilight’s mind went blank. “Only… flashes. Faces I think I should know, but don’t. Places and names that mean nothing to me, but I know they should. And…”
She trailed off. The queen could sense her apprehension and adopted a motherly tone. “There is no question you cannot ask, Twilight Sparkle. Tell me what troubles you.”
The former unicorn looked up to her queen and took comfort in the feeling of patient compassion drifting off of her. “It’s only a shapeless beast really. A big one. Far bigger than even you, my queen. The only thing I remember is that it caused me terrible, horrible pain.”
Cadista smiled sadly. She actually remembers portions of the attack. It is a testament to her mental fortitude that she didn’t go insane while inside the chrysalis. The elder changeling brought them to a nearby shower room. “Have no fear, Twilight. You are safe here.”
Twilight relaxed considerably after hearing her queen’s reassurances. The hive mind impressed upon her that Cadista was to be implicitly trusted. With no reason to think otherwise, she did. Cadista guided Twilight to a shower, turning it on and scrubbing the orange substance from Twilight’s fur with a sponge, grasped in her orange telekinesis.
She did so with the care that a mother would bestow upon her child. Something felt off about having her queen bathe her, but Twilight was not about to protest. Normally a drone would have cleaned Twilight, but this was a critical period in her integration into the hive, and Cadista needed to make sure it went smoothly.
As the conversation lapsed into silence, Twilight contemplated all she had learned after freeing herself from the egg. She raised her left foreleg to inspect the three small holes that went straight from one end to the other. Why do these holes feel like they shouldn’t be here? She glanced at Cadista’s forelegs while the queen used her kinesis to cleanse the orange liquid off of the purple mare. My queen has holes in her legs. So it must be normal for a changeling to have holes. And I am a changeling, she thought with shaky conviction. ...Aren’t I?
As Cadista shut the water off and cast a drying spell, Twilight managed to get a good look at her back. I have wings like my queen, and— she licked her teeth and found two long fangs in the front of her mouth. …And I have fangs. So, I am definitely a changeling. But then, why do I feel like I should be something else?
“Come Twilight, you must learn what it means to be a changeling.”
The phrasing of the request struck a chord in Twilight. A cloudy memory brushed the forefront of her mind, reminding her that, somehow, she had always wanted to know about this. She didn't know where the memory came from, or what it meant, but it gave her a sense of eager anticipation nonetheless. “Gladly, my queen.”
Pleased to see such enthusiasm to learn, Cadista led the newborn changeling out into a short, well-guarded hallway that led to the hive proper. Several drones with bladed weapons and armor stood vigil over the hatchery. At worst, Cadista feared confusion and resistance, but the ecstatic look upon Twilight’s face let her relax. She may yet come to terms with this when her memories return. “Since you have only been reborn today, I want you to explore the major areas of the capital.”
A keen expression danced of Twilight's face before it soured a little. “Who will be my guide? Can it be you, please?”
Cadista chuckled lightly. “Why not? A Queen does not last long without the ability to multitask.” I can spare the day, at least. “Since it’ll be me taking you around, why don’t I show you one of my favorite places in the city? After that you can go wherever you wish, within reason.”
“Oh, thank you, my queen!” Twilight’s wings buzzed with excitement. Her superior's benevolence assuaged any misgivings she had about her body, for the moment.
Cadista stepped up to a bronze, iris like doorway that had no immediately identifiable handle. It must be opened by magic only. She did not see her queen’s horn light up, but after stepping onto a metal plate in front of the door, it quickly opened with a hiss of steam and the grinding of greased cogs, revealing a large city beyond the portal.
Twilight was transfixed by how the door had opened on its own, knowing only that it had something to do with the metal plate. The sudden absence of her queen drove her through the door, only to stop in wonder at the sight of the city.
Cadista stood off to the side with a proud smile on her face. Only her memories are suppressed. I knew Celestia’s protégé was an avid scholar, and it seems that has survived her amnesia. Without memories of any other city, our home must be mind boggling for her.
The hatchery was built low to the ground, so Twilight's field of vision was fairly small. Sunlight filtered down through a massive caldera, huge grey walls rising out of a faint fog, curling up around the city in sharp points. A faint, barely perceptible orange dome covered the ceiling. Homes and factories dotted the landscape, as changelings fluttered to and fro on both hooves and wings alike. As Twilight watched hundreds of grey figures going about their business, the hive mind imprinted two words into her mind: brothers, and sisters.
She felt her queen’s presence to her right and turned to face her. Something about that thought seemed off. I—believe I’ve always had brothers, or was it just one brother? She kept watching the grey figures flitter about as doubt clouded her thoughts. I need confirmation. She turned to the one source of knowledge she felt she had every reason to accept as truth. “Are they my brothers and sisters?” She waved a hoof at the sky for emphasis.
Cadista nodded sagely. “Yes Twilight, they are your siblings, and you are their newest sister.”
Again, Cadista’s phrasing bothered her. I… believe I’ve always been a sister. But to whom? To them? She studied the changelings again. The idea of being a sister felt comfortable to Twilight, like a warm blanket on a cold night. Yes, I am a sister. A smile crossed her face as she looked over the other members of the hive. “I am your sister,” she said both proudly and quietly.
The declaration was just loud enough for Cadista to hear. “Come along, Twilight, I have much to show you.”
Twilight watched her queen take to the air, and without a second thought, flew after her, as if she'd been flying her whole life. As she followed her queen to the central tower that dominated the city’s skyline, a troubled thought nagged at her.
Cadista, and any nearby changelings, could sense Twilight's increasing anxiety through the link. She slowed down to be parallel with the hive’s latest addition. “What troubles you, young one?”
Twilight examined the other changelings before facing her queen. “Why am I the only purple changeling? You also keep talking about my ‘rebirth’. Haven’t I always been a changeling?”
Cadista had not expected this question so early. I’ve underestimated you again, Twilight Sparkle. “I do not wish to hide things from you, Twilight. I am being truthful when I say rebirth. However, you hatched barely two hours ago. Give yourself time to adjust to this life, before delving into the past.”
Cadista landed on top of the large tower with a sweeping view of the entire city. At its peak, the tower housed a massive orange crystal that powered the shield dome.
Twilight almost forgot her question at the sight of the massive crystal. “But, I already remember things from…I guess my old self. My past is important, isn’t it?”
“Of course it is,” Cadista replied, reassuringly. “But the present and future are just as important.” Something I have learned only recently myself. She adopted a sympathetic expression. “The process of your rebirth suppressed much of your old memories, Twilight. They will return on their own, I promise. Once they do, you are free to do as you will - within reason, of course,” she added carefully.
Twilight paused, digesting the information. “Do all of my siblings go through rebirth as well?”
“Not in the same manner as you have. But, I will let the caretakers explain that to you later. For now,” she swept a hoof towards the grand view of the northern half of the city, “I wish to welcome you to the capital of our hive, Stripped Gear.”
Satisfied by her queen’s words, Twilight looked down to the city below. As before, her amnesia made the dense urban area seem magical in its own right. Stripped Gear had an alien aesthetic to it, with bronze machinery dominating the landscape. Factories along the eastern district all had fanciful architecture that was both practical and inventive. The commercial and residential districts used even more whimsical designs.
Cadista let Twilight bask in the view of the city for a few minutes. It gave her a chance to focus more of her cognitive efforts in making sure all was well within the hive mind. Twilight’s wings buzzed with amazement, so much that she drifted off the ground a few times before getting a hold of herself.
“So, this is my home.” The mare looked back to Cadista with a question on her tongue.
The orange haired queen sniffed Twilight’s as of yet unvoiced query through the hive mind. “You will be staying with me for the foreseeable future, young Twilight. I want to make sure your integration into the hive mind continues without complication.”
Twilight’s curiosity was only compounded by that statement. “Why do I get the feeling not every rebirthed changeling stays with you for that?”
Cadista was not used to anyone directly questioning her decrees, even if Twilight’s tone did not suggest she would disobey. This is the new way, Cadista. I have to foster such inquisitiveness in her, not suppress it. She took strength from the hive to remain warm and calm. “Because, you are not like other rebirthed changelings. You will still learn how the common drone lives, and what they desire. But, after your tasks for the day are over, you will return to my side at the palace. Do you understand?”
Cadista did not use a forced command like before. She wanted Twilight to remain loyal of her own volition. Twilight briefly mulled over the directive, before bowing her head. “As you wish, my queen.” She had dozens of questions to ask about so many things, but a hunger that had been growing ever since her hatching took precedence. “Is um—Is there any chance I could grab some food? I don’t think I’ve eaten since… I guess my last meal in my old life.”
Cadista smirked at Twilight’s feeble attempt at a joke. Yes, she might be able to inject some of that equestrian vitality into my drones. That’s exactly what my hive needs to continue mother’s dream. The real trick will be getting her to willingly stay as more and more of her memories return. “Since you will be spending much of your time outside of the palace, let me take you to—” Cadista’s warm demeanor evaporated as she looked to the west with a scowl.
Twilight’s ears flattened at the sudden shift in her queen’s mood. The hive mind reflected the change as well and she could feel her siblings’ mounting distress. “My queen?”
Cadista masked her anger on both her face and in the hive mind. “My apologies, Twilight, but an important matter has come to my attention.” One of the nearby engineer drones watching over the tower’s shield generator dropped his work and flew over to Cadista upon hearing her unspoken command to him.
“I am yours to command, my queen,” said the changeling, bowing. He was like every other male drone Twilight had seen so far; grey fur, azure glowing eyes with barely perceivable irises, and all business.
“Your tasks for the day are being shifted to palace duties. However, you will still be compensated for a full day’s engineering work. I want you to escort Twilight Sparkle to one of the food courts - I care not which. After that, you are to act as her guide to wherever she wants to go within Stripped Gear, as long as it isn't dangerous.” She cast a glance at Twilight. She didn't visibly react, but Cadista could feel her compliance with the indirect command.
The drone snapped a crisp salute. “It will be done.”
Satisfied, Cadista turned to Twilight. “I want you to return to the palace by sundown. I will be back by then.”
We’re in front of one of my brothers, so I should probably keep it formal, like he did. Twilight bowed her head. “As you wish, my queen.”
Cadista lingered for a moment as she considered Twilight’s response. Humility; she will need that for the coming months. Without further ado, she departed, leaving the grey and purple changelings on their own.
Twilight watched her depart with a thread of uncertainty. I’m just one sister among hundreds, if not thousands. I hope they don’t mind me being purple. She felt like an outsider. Why was my rebirth different from everypony else’s? Why am I purple when everypony, even Cadista is grey? She sat on her haunches while gazing upon the constantly busy city of Stripped Gear. Who did I used to be? Was I a changeling back then too? Or was I... something else?
Twilight raised a hoof to look at the holes in her legs. Why do these seem so out of place? Does my past even matter? A few faces flashed across her mind’s eye. Argh, I can’t even put names of any of them. The more she tried to focus, the more something stood out about them. They’re not grey. Nor do they have fangs or the eyes.
Suddenly, Twilight wanted a mirror. In her brief search for a reflective surface the engineer came into view. He had a distant look in his eyes as if his mind was a million miles away. Having no one else to turn to, the newborn changeling stepped over to him and politely cleared her throat. “Excuse me, brother.”
The grey drone snapped back to reality. “Yes? Are you ready to go?”
Twilight’s stomach growled in response, but she beat down her embarrassment. “Almost. Is there a mirror I can use? I haven’t had a chance to see what my face looks like yet.”
He was caught off guard by her casual mannerism, now that Cadista was gone. “Oh, sure,” he fumbled around his tool belt to retrieve a hoof-sized mirror on an iron stick. He sensed her curiosity and spoke while using his hooves to unscrew the mirror off the handle. “We engineers keep a mirror on hoof so we can see into nooks and crannies while conducting repairs and routine maintenance on the machinery.”
He used a cloth to wipe away some of the caked on oil and grime, but the rag barely made it any better. He presented the mirror to Twilight, who instinctively took it into her orange-colored telekinesis. She didn’t notice him sigh in relief for not being reprimanded about his mirror being dirty. She may not be a pain in the flank after all. ...Provided this is normal behavior for her. The drone, like the rest of the hive, had sensed Twilight’s entry into the Link. It's power had been subtle, but her strong mind still left echoes from its induction. Well, she did just come out of the pod today, so there’s no telling what she’ll be like later on.
Twilight ignored the stains on the mirror to look at herself. Her fangs were quite prominent, which briefly made her feel ill-at-ease before she dismissed it. We all have fangs, I’m just being silly thinking there’s something wrong with them. Her smooth upturned horn looked normal enough. Nothing else about her face struck her as being strange, except for her eyes. They were a rich shade of lavender; that much was familiar. What wasn’t familiar were the reptilian slits that looked back at her. They look like Cadista’s.
She stole a quick glance at the drone who was gazing off into space again. His irises were barely visible behind the gentle azure glow, but they were definitely circular. What does that mean? She asked herself worriedly. Why do I look more like Cadista than I do my own brother? She put the mirror down. Well, I’m sure my queen will tell me once I get to see her again.
The drone felt Twilight’s anxiety wafting off of her like a cold front. How do I address her? The queen never actually said anything about that. He sent Cadista a low priority query over the Link. He received a reply a few moments later. Like a normal sister, except that I can’t allow any harm to reach her, huh? Well, that makes things both simpler and more complicated at the same time. Especially since she’s a new hatchling. He cautiously stepped forward. “Twilight? Are you well?”
“Huh?” she whirled around to face him. His concerned expression made her feel apologetic. “Oh, I’m sorry, I never thought to ask for your name.”
He stuttered for a bit as his mirror flew back over so he could grab it. Wow, she’s actually asking for my name? “I-it’s, uh, Ratchet. Ratchet Altair.” He quickly grabbed the mirror in his hoof and replaced it on his belt. Twilight's cheeks flushed red as her stomach growled even louder. “Why don’t we follow the queen’s advice and get some grub?”
A sheepish smile found its way on her lips after seeing him ignore her different color. “That sounds great. Thanks.”
While being high above in the tower gave a grandiose view of Stripped Gear, Twilight missed all the little things that brought out the city’s splendor. Ratchet was leading Twilight over the various bakeries towards the food court of the southwestern district. It sat between the southern light industry mills and other assorted food processors.
Ratchet cleared a series of steam pipes to finally arrive at a large plaza. Over a hundred round tables with seating for three covered the bronze and brick plaza. Twilight made a conscious effort to stay close to Altair so she would not lose him in the sea of grey figures. It did not take long for him to dive down towards an empty table. Twilight was glad he landed as quickly as he did and barely managed to stay on her hooves upon reaching the ground. She breathed heavily while trying to ignore her wings burning from the prolonged flight.
“Sorry, I kept slowing us down Ratchet. I’m just not…” She trailed off as she just concentrated on keeping her composure while taking her seat.
He waved her apology off. “Don’t worry about it. You just hatched today, after all.” He reached under the table to grab a menu and indicated for Twilight to do the same. “So, do you remember having a preference or is it all still new to you?”
Twilight scrunched her muzzle at the illegible text. “I don’t–” Her confusion reached the hive mind, and it responded by granting her knowledge on how to read the language. Bit by bit, the letters started to make sense to her, and within half a minute she could read the menu. “Oh, well, I guess I can.”
“I don’t remember what kind of food I used to eat.” She searched the large assortment of options, but none of it sounded even remotely familiar. She glanced at him and saw he was ready to order. I don’t want him waiting on me. “Why don’t you pick something for both of us?”
“Alright then.” Altair replaced his menu under the table. “Do you know how to summon a server?”
Twilight fiddled with her hooves under the table. “No, sorry.”
Odd, most rebirths can recall that, at least. “Don’t worry about it. You sound really faint in the Link, but you still might be able to do it. Just read the ID number on the center of our table and yell both it and our meal selection over the Link. We're getting two orders of Venlady Stew. The shout won’t go past the court and serving area so you don’t need to worry about disrupting operations outside of it.”
Twilight craned her head forward to read the number on her table. “How do I speak over the hive mind? I’ve only been listening so far.”
She doesn’t even know that? I didn't realize she was so new at this. He hid his slight irritation well. “You can practice later; I’ll go ahead and place our order.”
“Oh, okay,” Twilight replied, a little downtrodden. He’ll be able to place the order faster than I could, and I am super hungry right now…
To distract herself from her stomach, she looked around at all of her brothers and sisters eating around her. A barrage of delicious aromas tantalized her nose. “I’m surprised there’s such a wide selection of different foods on the menu.” She turned back to Ratchet. “I’d love to see how it's all prepared.”
Altair leaned back in his chair with a smug grin. “Yup. We’re lucky to be under Queen Cadista, she really makes our lives better than the average ‘Ling.”
Twilight tilted her head in curiosity. “What do you mean?”
“Our queen believes in quality over quantity when it comes to us drones. We have a superior standard of living over every other changeling hive there is. Thanks to her desire for technological advancement, our productivity is twenty times that of the next best hive. And with the individuality our hive mind allows, our creativity and inventiveness by far surpasses that of the others.”
“Fascinating,” the purple mare chirped with shared pride. “So, are we a major power?”
‘Um…” He trailed off as his pride all but vanished. “Well, we’re a really small hive. We barely number four thousand, and our higher standards end up costing more resources so other hives can support much larger populations than we can as a result.”
Before she could inquire further, a muscular grey mare arrived bearing a platter. “Order up.” Twilight pushed her forelegs off the tabletop as the table-sized platter was slid into place. The tableware was magnetically attached to the platter. The waitress removed the battery from the electromagnet in the center to allow the silverware and other items to be moved normally. “Enjoy.”
Twilight removed the cover on the bowl to find enticing stew. Two cups full of some alcoholic beverage sat behind the bowl and three pink glowing crystals. The purple mare looked at Ratchet’s food and saw he had the same thing, but only one crystal.
Confusion marred her face as she wrapped one of her gems in the orange glow of her telekinesis and brought it over to her face for inspection. “What are these for?”
Ratchet was continuously puzzled by her tendency to vocalize questions. Why doesn’t she just ask the hive mind? Is her connection really that weak? Or is it inconsistent? He sent out a request to the Link so it would give Twilight her answer. He watched as her confusion slowly turned to understanding.
Oh, so I feed on love, and these gems hold onto some so it can be accurately rationed. Makes sense, I guess. She wanted to know why feeding on love felt strange and why she received three crystals instead of one, but her hunger gnawed at her. She moved the crystal closer to her horn and with the knowledge the hive had given her, and began to feed. A bridge of orange light formed between her horn and the gem and the pink glow started flowing from the crystal and into her.
Her first taste of love was mind blowing. Twilight felt her magic and muscles fill with energy as her hunger demanded to be satiated. Soon, all three crystals were levitating adjacent to her horn as they all poured their contents into the famished changeling. She held her breath as if the bridges of magic were like straws and she was sucking the love through them as fast as possible. The crystals quickly lost their color and became lifeless in less than a minute.
As soon as all three were completely drained, Twilight let out a shuddering sigh, barely managing to place the three crystals back on the platter. Ratchet started eating his soup as he waited for her to catch her breath. “First feeding is always the most memorable.”
Twilight nodded dumbly as her eyes drifted towards Altair’s crystal. He watched her expression until she tore her eyes from it. No. That’s his love. I got three; it would be so unfair to even ask. The purple pony politely cleared her throat before focusing on her stew. “It was. Thanks for bringing me here.” she forwent the use of a spoon and simply levitated a bite size glob of stew. As soon as she tasted her first mouthful, her stomach finally stopped complaining. The heavy broth of vegetables and strips of meat tantalized her tongue with almost just as much satisfaction as the love crystals had. “You picked some great stuff, this stew is amazing.”
“Glad you like it. It’s a personal favorite of mine,” he replied warmly.
The meal lapsed into silence as the reborn changeling devoured her meal with less than ladylike manners. While it tasted superb, it felt increasingly strange to be eating meat. “Do changelings always eat meat?”
He shook his head. “We’re the only hive that does, as far as I know. Our previous queen discovered a way to increase our creativity through some genetic manipulation, but it required us to become omnivores to satisfy our altered nutritional requirements.”
A plethora of questions popped in her mind. “The queen can alter our genetics?”
“Only before we hatch.” He took a swig of beer before continuing. “I’m not privy to the exact science behind it. But I do know that every queen of every hive decides our place within the hive while we’re still in the egg. They use a sort of magical alchemy to mold us into the desired drone. Cadista and Queen Yumia, her predecessor, have always made much higher investments in each of us to maximize our potential contribution to the hive. That’s why on an individual basis, we’re far superior to drones of any other hive.”
Twilight mulled over the information as she ate her stew. “But, raising livestock requires a lot of land that could be more productive if it was given over to crops. Doesn’t that make our unique diet less efficient if resources are so scarce?”
Ratchet was genuinely impressed. The simple things she’s forgotten and yet she knows something about agriculture. “True. It means our overall food production is lower than other hives of comparable farmlands, but, as you can see,” he waved a hoof to encompass the city, “what we gain for it has proven to the queen that having smarter, more individualistic drones is well worth the additional overhead.”
Twilight had no idea how other hives lived, but what she kept inferring from Altair displeased her. Seems like other changelings have miserable lives. Why is there so much disparity between the hives? Wouldn’t the other queens see how intelligence is better than weight of numbers?
Ratchet noticed Twilight kept stealing glances at his as of yet untouched love crystal. He felt a twinge of sympathy and grabbed it with his hoof. After draining only half of it, he presented it to her. “Here sis, you have the rest.”
Her eyes dilated to the size of dinner plates before she shook her head and pushed the crystal back with a hoof. “I can’t take that from you. I already had three.”
Twilight’s display of compassion only spurred him on. He pushed back a little to bring the crystal closer to her. “Don’t worry about me. I'm already getting paid overtime, I'll be fine. Besides, you’re a new hatchling. You need all the love you can get.”
Twilight worked her jaw as she tried to resist the temptation to snatch it from his hoof. “Are you sure you aren’t going to go hungry, Ratchet? I wouldn’t want you to suffer on my account.”
“I had a big breakfast. Go on, take it, I’ll be fine.”
Twilight slowly took the crystal in her hoof and stared at it before looking at him with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Ratchet. I really appreciate it.”
He returned her smile. “Don’t mention it.”
Like the others, Twilight levitated the gem to horn and greedily sucked every last bit of love out of it. It wasn’t nearly as much as the others, but it tasted sweeter.
The rest of the meal passed quickly. The alcohol was not strong enough to give Twilight anything more than a mild buzz. When the server returned to take the platter away, Twilight held Ratchet’s crystal close to her chest. “Can I keep this one?”
The waitress gave her a puzzled look, but couldn't talk to Twilight on the Link, so she spoke aloud. “Why keep a dry crystal?”
She grinned sheepishly. “I just want a memento of my first meal.”
The grey mare shrugged. I’ve seen weirder quirks. “Suit yourself, sister.”
Altair found the request odd. Well, she forgot everything of her old self. She’s probably just trying to fill the gap by holding onto new memories.
As the waitress departed, Ratchet got out of his chair. “You still up for a tour of Stripped Gear?”
Twilight nodded happily. “I’ve been dying to see everything, but can we stay on the ground for a little while? My wings are still sore from earlier.”
“Not a problem. Why don’t we go see the manufactory first? There's this one spot I like, where you can see the assembly lines at work.”
Twilight’s eyes glittered at the prospect. “Sounds fun! Lead the way.”
Ratchet’s tour lasted for hours until the sun started to dip below the horizon. Twilight’s mind was racing with all of the sights and sounds she had witnessed. Every detail was memorized and cataloged into her memory. Her scholarly mindset had survived intact from her rebirth, and it drove the mare to learn everything she could about her new home and siblings.
As with all things, the day could not last forever, and with the setting of the sun, her eyes turned to the palace in the center of the city. “I should get back to the queen.”
“Seems like it's about that time,” he concurred.
After spending the past few hours on the ground, Twilight’s wings were fit enough to fly again. “I’ll see you later, won’t I?”
He tilted his head in contemplation. “Possibly. If you end up in engineering detail, you might.”
The idea was highly appealing. Those machines were so astounding. It’s amazing what my siblings have accomplished with such little magic use. The passing thought gave her a funny feeling. Why would the minimalistic approach to magic use seem so odd to me?
“You don’t want to keep the queen waiting,” Ratchet announced loudly enough to snap her out of her musings.
“Oh, you’re right, of course.” She buzzed into the air, flying towards the bronze and marble palace before turning around to wave a friendly hoof at him. “I know it was a command, but thanks for showing me around Stripped Gear.”
“Have a good one, Twilight,” he waved back as she turned to leave. I have to say, she’s not what I expected.
Twilight made her way to the palace. She could sense Cadista’s presence at the center, but had no idea how to get there. Her unspoken query reached the hive mind, and it wordlessly gave her the route she needed to take. Twilight scanned the palace perimeter, saw a doorway that felt like the right one, and flew over. The two guards stood aside without hesitation. Drones fluttered to and fro within its halls. The palace was undergoing renovations, so Twilight was unable to glean what the purpose was of the various rooms she passed by.
Whenever she needed to make a turn, or open a door, the purple changeling felt the choir of voices lead her in the right direction. This place is like a maze; I’d be totally lost without the hive guiding me.
The palace surrounded the central barrier tower, serving to protect the chambers below it. Consequently, Twilight's journey was rather short. Cadista’s chambers were guarded by a pair of solid bronze and steel doors, along with two burly looking male drones. Upon seeing Twilight’s approach, their horns lit up and activated the doors. The portal opened with a hiss of steam and clanking gears.
She even uses machines instead of just magic to guard her home, thought Twilight as she watched the doors open.
A familiar voice met her ears from within the chamber. “Ah, Twilight, you’ve returned.”
Twilight rushed inside to find Cadista sitting on a sofa, in deep communion with the hive mind. “Of course, my queen.”
Cadista stopped her communion to speak to the purple changeling directly. She was pleased to sense the purple changeling’s unquestioning loyalty. “Please, just Cadista. You have taken to your rebirth into the hive quite well, so there is no need for you to be so formal with me in private.”
“O-okay, Cadista.” She replied hesitantly.
The orange crowned matriarch gestured to her large, but plainly decorated bed. “You should get some rest. We have much to do, tomorrow.”
Twilight was a little nervous about the offer, and feared she might disturb her queen’s sleep. I don’t want to hit her if I toss and turn at night. “Wouldn’t it be better if I slept in my own bed?”
“You will, eventually. However, I'd planned to be with you all day to accelerate your induction into the hive mind. Since I had matters to attend to, you will sleep in my chambers until your connection is fully established.”
Twilight scratched her head in thought. “Well, you know more about this sort of thing than I do, so I trust you. May I ask what we’ll be doing tomorrow?”
Cadista stifled a yawn as she made her way over to the bed. “We’ll be receiving a very important ruler from a nation to the north, and I want you fully rested for the event.”
Twilight joined her queen on the bed. “Who is it?”
“Princess Celestia,” she replied evenly.
Twilight tilted her head. “Who?”