Humblebee led the entourage of gathered changelings into the throne room, picking up Meta Knight last as the captain of the royal guard had been stationed right outside the doors of the great chamber anyway.
"Humblebee?"
"Yes, my Queen?"
"When I sent you to collect Meta Knight, Mayhem, and Calamity to meet me here, that would have been a total of three changelings plus yourself, correct?"
"That is correct, my Queen."
"I can't help but notice that you brought me... let's see now... ah yes. You have brought me twenty-one changelings. Now correct me if I'm wrong, Humblebee, but isn't that seven times the number of changelings I asked you to bring? Because I'm pretty sure that twenty-one is a bit more than three."
"You are indeed correct, my Queen," Humbelbee confirmed, proud of the new queen's math skills, so gifted for one who was only just born earlier that same day.
"Care to explain?"
"From the context of your request, I assumed that you would want additional veterans of your mother's previous campaigns."
"Well, showing initiative is a good sign, I suppose. And all of these are swarm rush survivors?"
"That is correct, my Queen."
"By any chance, are these all of the swarm rush survivors?"
"Yes, my Queen."
"Of course they are," the new queen grumbled. "Okay, let's get started then. Meta Knight, you stand over there, as you will only be peripherally involved in this. Now, anyling who isn't a veteran of at least two swarm rushes go stand over there. That few, huh. Okay then, anyling who hasn't been involved in more than two swarm rushes can go join them. That's better. Humblebee, in descending order, introduce the remainder to me by name and number of swarm rush campaigns survived."
"Of course, my Queen. First up is Mayhem, veteran of seven campaigns. Next is Calamity, who has weathered direct involvement with six swarm rushes. Then there are Inky and Flambé, who have each survived three swarm rushes."
"Flambé?"
"Yes, my Queen?" the named changeling piped up enthusiastically.
"Was that always your name, or were you renamed by my mother?"
"I've had the honor of being renamed twice by Queen Chrysalis, my Queen!"
"And what, pray tell, were your previous names, if you can remember?"
"I was born as Lampyridae, and my first redesignation was as 'Oh No, Not You Again," my Queen!"
"Congratulations."
"My Queen?"
"You're in charge of demolitions."
"My Queen!" Flambé puffed up proudly.
"As in, if anything in the hive blows up, catches fire, or is otherwise destroyed when it is supposed to remain intact, I'm holding you directly responsible."
"Yes, my Queen." Flambé visibly deflated.
"That said, I may have need of your presumed talent for pyrotechnics, and possible pyromania, fairly soon."
"Yes, my Queen!"
"Mayhem, Calamity?"
"Yes, my Queen?" the named pair responded.
"Do either of you have any actual training in combat, tactics, and/or strategy?"
"I have been on two tours undercover as a mercenary for the Confederation of the Wastes, and one tour undercover as a junior officer in Equestria's EUP forces, my Queen."
"And you, Calamity?"
"One tour on each side, my Queen. Both undercover."
"And what experience do you have outside of any swarm rushes, Inky?"
"..."
"What was that? I didn't quite hear what you said."
"The defect plays a bard in Bookworm's Ogre's & Oubliettes campaign, my Queen!" one of the changelings in the group set aside earlier snarked.
"Meta Knight?"
"Yes, my Queen?"
"That one is throwing off my groove. Deal with it."
"At once, my Queen!" Meta Knight approached the now trembling changeling who had taunted Inky. "I'm sorry, but you have thrown off the new queen's groove."
"I... but... I... AAAAaaaiiieeeehoohoohoo!"
Queen Whatevra Wa'Nabe wondered idly at the narrative convenience involved in a window opening up in the throne room just then, but then shrugged and went on with her interviews without any further thought about the changeling that Meta Knight had just ejected. After all, it wasn't as if changelings couldn't fly.
"In any event, it has come to my attention that there are, or at least used to be, giant spiders large enough to have been a threat to changelings inhabiting the caverns beneath Gandahar. While I'm told that there hasn't been a notable incursion from below in nearly a thousand years, I would rather not find out that this is due to one of those 'time release monsters' or 'sealed evil in a can' situations, so I require someling to investigate the matter."
The gathered changelings blinked in confusion when the new queen mentioned time released monsters and sealed evil, but otherwise refrained from comment lest they too be forcibly ejected from her presence.
"Now, since I desire to actually receive the intelligence I am sending you after, I would like to ensure that you are all capable of surviving and returning from any bad situation you may potentially find yourselves in during the upcoming expedition. Therefore Meta Knight will be in charge of training you in combat. Specifically tunnel fighting. Particularly against known and hypothetical tactics and strategies that might be used by giant spiders. Mayhem, you will be the captain for this expedition, with Calamity as your executive officer, while Inky and Flambé will act as sergeants. The rest of you will be divided into two squads as appropriate, first decided by Meta Knight, and then later by either Mayhem or Calamity. Once you have all been sufficiently trained for the task ahead of you, additional changelings will be filtered in until the expeditionary force is sufficiently large enough to meet the requirements of the mission, with those already trained assigned to assist the new recruits in getting up to speed."
Everyling felt a bit of excitement as their new queen briefed them. Even if the assigned mission turned out to be little more than assuaging a newborn's fears, they were still being assigned actual training, and that alone would make each of them more valuable to the hive. And should their new queen's fears turn out to be valid, the training would ensure that they would be prepared to deal with it immediately, so the new mission was win/win as far as the hive, and thus everyling in it, was concerned.
"Meta Knight, Mayhem, Humblebee."
"Yes, my Queen," the three addressed responded in near unison.
"You three are to remain. The rest of you are dismissed to complete whatever tasks you were pulled from and then to prepare for when you are summoned to report for training."
"Yes, my Queen!"
"Well, what are you all standing around for? Go! Shoo! Get out of here!"
Once the throne room was otherwise clear, Queen Whatevra Wa'Nabe spoke. "Humblebee."
"Yes, my Queen?"
"Prepare dossiers for each changeling involved in this new unit. I wish to be aware of any special talents, quirks, or skills that I need to be aware of, with copies going to Meta Knight and Mayhem as well. Be prepared to read them aloud to me, as this will be required until I am sufficiently literate enough to peruse them myself."
"Meta Knight."
"Yes, my Queen?"
"Just to be clear, you are neither training your replacement nor the replacement for the Royal Guard. What you are to accomplish is to train up a force suitable for dealing with external threats to the hive while still being able to assist the Royal Guard with dealing with any internal defense issues that might crop up. Mayhem, if he..."
"She, my Queen," Humblebee interjected.
"If she proves to be capable, is to be trained to be your equal, as she is to be your counterpart for the new force. Not your rival, but rather your partner in ensuring the defense of the hive and the interests of Gandahar. Do you understand what I am asking of you?"
"Yes, my Queen!" the Captain of the Royal Guard confirmed, eyes shining with pride and approval of the task laid out before him.
"Mayhem."
"Yes, my Queen?"
"If you prove to be up to the task, you will be the new commander, and eventually general, of Gandahar's military forces. You are to be the spear to the Royal Guards' shield. The thrust in the dark against our enemies, or even the quick buck to the face against those who dare to openly threaten Gandahar. You may also be called upon to provide aid to allies or potential allies of Gandahar as the situation warrants. This mission is to be your first test. Do you understand what I am asking of you?"
"Yes, my Queen."
"Very well. Meta Knight, Mayhem, I release you to your new duties. You are dismissed."
The two changelings left the throne room and headed for Meta Knight's office to discuss how they would go forward with their new tasks.
"Humblebee."
"Yes, my Queen?"
"Let me know the next time Bookworm has an Ogres & Oubliettes session scheduled. I wish to sit in discretely as an observer."
"Yes, my Queen."
"Also, I haven't eaten all day."
"I will have something suitable brought up from the reserves, my Queen." Humblebee bowed and turned to leave.
"Oh, and one more thing!"
"Yes, my Queen?"
"Don't forget the dossiers I asked for!"
"Of course, my Queen."
Once she was alone in the throne room, Queen Whatevra Wa'Nabe, new queen of the changeling nation of Gandahar of all things and former human, slumped down on her throne and rubbed her temples with a hole riddled hoof. The day had been extremely stressful so far. Not only had she somehow become a completely different species, she had also been transported to whatever highly magical world that Equestria was on.
Well, Equestria and whatever the Confederation of the Wastes was. It sounded familiar, so she was sure that it would come to her eventually, but it sounded like they were in opposition to Equestria.
Oh, and her new subjects had spies on both sides of whatever the issue between Equestria and the Confederation of the Wastes happened to be. Or maybe the issue was between Gandahar and one or both of the other two. Fun.
But first there was the issue of the probable horde of giant freaking spiders just waiting for their thousand years of whatever was keeping them down there to go away before raiding the surface again! Those needed to die in fire. Lots of fire. It was bad enough that she'd have to get used to the domesticated crèche spiders, she wasn't about to suffer the possibility that there were even bigger and notedly hostile spiders lurking about ready to pounce from the shadows!
Trying to distract herself from the dark turn her thoughts had once again taken, the new queen idly wondered what sort of food Humblebee was going to bring her. Love based, presumably, but given that changelings apparently ate lollipops, it might well be something more substantial than the hazy mist of emotional energy that Chrysalis had been showing draining from Thorax...
Very good so far and congratulations for your story being featured :D, this is definitely interesting enough to warrant that, hopefully, you don't abandon this, too many instantly feature fics abandoned is a painful feeling to endure T.T.
wait, what happen to Thorax? O-O
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QWW is referring to Thorax' eventual ascension into a Changeling King. Which, given that the Thorax in this story is probably still either a grub or nymph, assuming he has even hatched yet, would still be a bit more that two decades away at this point in the timeline. Assuming that something happens to trigger it at all.
Time to burn some eight-legged abominations.....or at least begin planning to do so.
Im calling it now, our former human was in the military. I cant think of a better excuse for her natural understanding of putting a military unit together.
In regards to the posting rate, personally I would advise spacing out what you have to give yourself a buffer! It will be much less stressful in the and, will acclimate your readers to a more standard posting schedule, and you’ll be able to take breaks if you have a rough week and cant finish a new chapter on time. But whatever works best for you! I look forward to the next chapter!
Her groove was thrown off? Shall we now call her the Dancing Queen?
I have a feeling that this new Queen might conquer the Canterlot with Disco Inquisition.
I think I'm in love!
Absolutely loveing this so far! I know you said you have up to chapter 6 done but don’t rush and burn out after that, I’m sure we would all rather get chapters slower then not at all
Your first few chapters piqued my interest, you now have my attention. What can I say good military understanding gets my jollies off.
Already showing far more capability for success (in villainous, heroic, or otherwise) ventures than Chrysalis.
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To be fair my dude, that’s NOT that high a bar to surpass.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/4/7/2005061__safe_screencap_queen+chrysalis_the+beginning+of+the+end_spoiler-colon-s09e01_changeling_changeling+queen_crazylis_derp_female_funny+face_loser.png
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What this person said a THOUSAND TIMES!!! I’ve been here since friggin 2012 and I can’t even begin to tell you how many amazing stories I’ve seen never get finished. True SOME writers have the decency to at least leave an explanatory “chapter” that tells us how that story was supposed to end, buy most don’t.
Worse yet are the stories that leave us on a cliffhanger or ones where the author just seems to disappear off the face of the internet. Anyone here remember RainbowBob? Yeah, nobody here knows wtf happened to that very talented sob. One day he just, stopped. I could go on and on about all the amazing writers I encountered on this site that left, but then this comment would be 12 pages long.
My point is PACE yourself. Take the time you need, just don’t let this story die without an explanation.
Whereare we in original story? Before attack on Canterlot? Sorry if question is silly.
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Seemingly before the start of the series
My only complaint is that this is yet another good story on a list of MANY stories that you still have to update.
FIREFLIGHT PLEASE!
Though this is good too
This is gonna be good, but PLEASE pace yourself, don't let this story die, anywho I'm betting our former human was in the military
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Changeling Space Program.
Brave but often suicidally stupid changelings, ruled by Chrysalis trying to get a good publicity by participating in a global space race. This and it's sequel are very much worth a read.
Love what you have so far, keep up the good work!
The ENG reference was the best~
why am i getting fallout vibes from that wastelands group?
9882878
Happy accident?
In the context of this fic (and possibly some of my other fics as well), the Coalition of the Wastes isn't an officially recognized nation so much as it is a collection of loosely allied pirates and bandit kings who use the Bone Dry Desert as a buffer against retaliation for their various nefarious activities. Kludgetown occasionally serves as what passes for a "capitol" for this alliance, but it's mostly an isolated freeport that was originally built up around an oasis.
Think of the situation being somewhat similar to one of the ages of piracy in our own world: various factors contribute towards such things either being viable or not. In this case, the simultaneous existence of semi-rapid travel with huge buffer zones preventing swift military retaliation on the part of the nations victimized by the Coalition of the Wastes. While Equestria is one of those nations, there are additional buffers in the form of two jungles, the Hayseed Swamp, and the Badlands, all of which the various raiders use to try to dodge military patrols.
The changelings operating out of the Badlands (now revealed to be Gandahar) have spies on both sides for reasons that will come up later in the story.
A word of advice. After the first six chapters are finished, establish a regular posting schedule that you can keep. Too many authors get off to a good or great start, but then fail to set a schedule and their writing peters out. The best days to post, in my experience, are Sunday through Wednesday, at 3PM (-5 UST). Those give me the longest “Featured Story” times. Posting earlier of later gives me MUCH shorter times in Featured, by hours.
Experiment a bit and see which works best for you.
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While it's neat to find one of my stories on the Featured block, I'm not obsessed about staying there.
We'll see what happens.
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Are you gonna update this story?
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ah, thanks!
A Fem-Anon fic? Color me intrigued.
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No one expects the Disco Inquisition!
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Take over? Are you insane??? Do you have any idea how much paperwork that would involve?!
No! No no no no... Let the pleebs try to "conquer", a crafty
humanchangeling Queen would just corner the various markets to provide all the love they need while a healthy supply of bits keeps the gears greased.As an aside, I'd love to see her play some O&O. Let that nerd flag fly honey! *Two snaps around the world*
...by the way, anyone ever figure out if there were other hives besides Chrysalis'? If so, will they play a part in this story or just provide anecdotal information along the way?
(Before I read) I hope this lasts because there are many stories that do something very similar to this premise to this and stay on incomplete forever
Alright, consider yourself followed. If this new Queen comes into her own as a strong ruler, assuming she decides to make a move on Equestria, they're in for a bad time.
please keep this story alive, I'm thoroughly interested.
I love your writing prose. It's crisp, clean and sharp as a whip. Can't wait for more!
More AWESOME chapters please!
Wheres today's chapter?
Im liking this Author
Well done and you get a new follower.
The Monk
“Puberty was a curse for those inflicted with it, and boundless amusement for others who survived the process.” -Scarheart
Bahahaha! I love this Queen!
Hooray for heading off any infighting!
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Wasnt his egg hatched as a large cluster planned to be used for the Canterlot invasion? Im confused
Military experienced former female. Intriging I follow this story and you to see were this is leading. PlagueRat was the last Author to get my Changeling Queen fan heart sequel in delight Keep up the great work
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Fixed, thanks!
Just goes to show that, even with four prereaders, things can slip through...
I definitely feel a bit of relief that the coalition isn't from fallout but some nice world building instead.
Food. Yes. Food is good. You're not you when you're hungry.
your description of "The Coalition of the Wastes" somehow reminded me of "Freeport" of the "freeport venture" stories. two of the main protagonists are Sunset Shimmer and a changeling who calls himself "puzzle piece".
he also calls himself "this one" instead of "me" or "I"...
I love when changlings are actually sapient, seen to many stories where they are mindless. Also enjoying the story
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Indeed.
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I certainly hope our former human is also well-read in several different areas. Knowing military tactics and so on is nice, but as this isn't Age of Empires or the like, running the hive as a city or nation isn't going to be easy. Assuming that they not only are able to eat regular food for sake of the flavor, but also for nourishment, that means that if the Changelings don't already know what to do in order to grow crops that they'll need to be taught in some fashion, and afterwards the concern becomes "what can we grow in the middle of a desert that will provide nourishment, and can it be done at a fast enough rate to sustain us?" Then of course there's the soil-content as well to consider (iow, crop rotation), and where to get water from, and where and how to store the harvest so it won't spoil quickly. Then there is outside-relations of the diplomatic sort to consider, as well as possible import-export for profit. Changelings might not need much, but there's a difference between needs and wants, as well as what a visiting outsider might want. While the Hive is impressive in the same fashion that a 20-year-old ant colony is impressive (that is to say, academically speaking), from an aesthetic perspective, it's kind of a dump. It may be sturdy as a mountain, but if it doesn't look nice and isn't at least simple to navigate, (actual) visitors will probably not want to stay more than what business requires.
Annnnnd I'm moving on to the next chapter now. After going back and look at all that I wrote on this I reminded myself that running the hive isn't my problem and I'll have more fun reading it than I will structuring a civilization that doesn't even exist.
Tee hee. So a D&D player, a military tactics person (I know others have mentioned military service, but maybe they play war games -- hex boards or free-miniatures?), a brony, and modern culture.