//------------------------------// // 24 - The Rise of the Empress // Story: Change: Queen of The Hive // by tom117z //------------------------------// Canterlot “So that’s it, huh?” The stallion raised his eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘that’s it’, it looks amazing!” The other stallion swung his forelegs in emphasis. “It’s just a piece of paper at the moment.” “Oh, but just imagine what it will be like in the flesh, or well… metal.” Broad Sword rolled his eyes, Vladimir practically drooling over the schematics on the dining room table within his family home. Scarlet and Shining Armor stood to the side, simply observing the conversation. Young Valiant was upstairs in his own bedroom entertaining himself in one form or another. He was probably reading his comics or playing with his action figures; the colt even had a full ‘Elements of Harmony’ set, with the Twilight figure enchanted so it could actually change form from unicorn to Changeling Queen. But all that was distant and inconsequential for the ponies, who were too busy learning about Vladimir’s future prosthetic. “I would have thought it would take longer to design,” Scarlet stated. “Weeks at best.” “Nah, the Princess assured me that this Circuit Breaker guy is a master of his craft,” Vladimir responded. “But these are only schematics. Probably be a few more days yet before I see the thing materialise.” “Still think it should take longer.” “Well, when you get an exclusive order from the Princess of the Sun you are usually motivated to get it done quickly and extremely well.” Scarlet was forced to concede the thestral’s point. “Anyway…” Broad Sword continued on, pointing to one specific part of the schematic. “I take it this was your personal input.” The design of the wing itself was in the shape and size of the wing he had lost, though was modularised with several mechanical looking joints held together with interweaved magics. The schematics also indicated it was made with special titanium fibre plating, tough and yet light enough. With the assistance of natural pegasi magic allowing their undersized wings to give them flight in the first place, with this Vladimir would to be able to fly almost flawlessly; albeit no doubt with some training to use the new limb. The specific section he was gesturing towards on the designs was a diagram of several lethal looking blades extending out from the wing, though the slightly more transparent depiction and some of the notes surrounding it indicated that the blades would normally be stashed away within the wing itself unless Vladimir himself mentally called upon them. Another new bodily function he would have to practice. “The Princess did say I would get some design choices of my own,” he replied with a smirk. “Now if the bad guys ever manage to disarm me, they’re in for one heck of a surprise.” “You do so love your toys,” Shining Armor commented. “Especially ones hidden from plain view.” Vladimir shrugged. “Must come from being a denizen of the night.” “Who stays up during the day,” the Prince deadpanned. “Sleep is overrated.” “Princess Luna would disagree.” “Hey, just because she’s my favourite Princess of Equestria doesn’t mean I have to agree with her on everything.” “You favourite, huh?” “Of course. She has to be, I’m the Captain of the Lunar Guard,” he stated. “And she gets all pouty when she thinks otherwise.” “Uh huh.” “I think we’re off topic,” Scarlet Snow interrupted. “The wing?” “Ah, right. Well, it’s going to take a bit for me to get used to it,” Vladimir admitted. “But I can be a fast learner when I want to be. I’ll get back into shape and be flying about in no time at all. All this extra walking is killing my hooves.” “Oh poor little you,” Shining snarked. “Welcome to my world.” “You could always ask your sister to turn you into a changeling, get some of those pretty, albeit hole filled, fairy wings.” “You know it doesn’t work like that,” Shining rebuked. “Jackass.” “Speaking of your sister…” Scarlet spoke up to change the topic. “Have you heard anything from her?” “Nothing from the changelings in the embassy,” Shining Armor responded, worry subtly tinting his voice. “We did get a message from Spike though. He’s in Ponyville right now, and has sent a message off to the Element of Generosity, Rarity.” “He have anything to report?” “He’s staying there until Rarity arrives, waiting for Twilight to message him.” “And if she doesn’t by then?” “We’ll decide where to place the Element Bearers if that time comes. Probably bring them here,” the Prince stated. “Though, he did state something worrying.” “Something else?” Vladimir deadpanned. “Not short of worry as of late.” Shining gave a half-hearted chuckle in response. “True. But… it’s one of my sister’s friends, Pinkie Pie.” Captain Broad Sword nodded knowingly. “The odd one?” “The odd one,” he confirmed. “She had one of her… ‘moments’. Claims something bad is about to happen.” “Of course something bad is about to happen,” Vladimir shot back. “We haven’t exactly been short of those events either. Attacks on ponies, my wing and so much more has happened that somebody better be writing it all down to keep track. Surely it can’t be much worse at this point.” “According to Spike, Pinkie Pie seems to think so,” Shining Armor retorted. “Though, she didn’t give specifics as to what. She probably doesn’t even know, that ‘sense’ of hers isn’t the clearest thing in the world. Hell, she herself is an enigma even Twily couldn’t figure out.” “Well, whatever it is I’m sure you sister is already on top of it,” Broad Sword stated. “Don’t you mean in the middle of it,” Shining deadpanned. “As always. She’s going to give me a heart attack one of these days with the amount of worry she causes me.” “And bursting into spontaneous songs every now and then,” Vladimir noted mirthfully. “All the worse.” “Oh don’t be dramatic,” Vladimir scoffed. “You’re in your thirties, not some ailing grandparent worrying for their grandkids.” “I feel like it sometimes.” “The overprotective type… Celestia help the first colt to kiss Flurry Heart.” Shining Armor rolled his eyes, though didn’t necessarily deny what Vladimir had said. It would be a cold day in Tartarus before he let some punk take his daughter away from him without an extremely fierce fight. Not that he said that out loud of course, but he thought it. And perhaps that even extended over to his LSBFF, only to a lesser extent because the Changeling Queen, and probably his wife to boot, would probably flay him alive if he interfered with such romantic endeavours. Though he was already certain he was sleeping on the sofa for the foreseeable future, what else could Cadance do? But, perhaps, it would be better for Shining Armor if he never found that out. The Council Hive Twilight landed hurriedly, her escort of drones immediately moving to secure the area. So forceful was her entrance that the drones of the other hives were momentarily in the belief that Queen Twilight intended them harm. She almost completely ripped open one of the entrances as she proceeded into the building itself, the drones in the hallways glancing between the agitated Changeling Queen and the regalia she held in a lavender prison. One such drone soon found himself under the scrutinising gaze of Queen Twilight. The Queen approached this drone, standing tall over him in a manner that left no room for anything but perfect obedience to the royal changeling. “The other Changeling Queens, where are they?” “Q-Queen Twilight. They’re all in session right now, so if you could wait until I-” Queen Twilight had already left while the drone was mid-sentence, leaving all the onlookers so shocked at the generally light-hearted Queen’s behaviour that they neglected to inform the other Changeling Queens that she was coming. “Our changeling are all in position, nothing is getting into this hive,” one of Twilight’s guards reported. “Good. I may be awhile, be vigilant.” “Always, my Queen.” That pressure on Twilight’s mind returned, just as it had the last time she was at the Council Hive. She had no doubt the others were still feeling it too, but this time something felt different. This realisation made the Queen stop in the middle of one empty corridor just short of the council chamber itself. It was like she now understood the presence better, like she could make out a bright light amidst the thick fog. This understanding, she suddenly had the feeling it had been there before she returned to the Council Hive, perhaps ever since her battle with Queen Draco? Something assaulted the corner of Twilight’s mind, like her instincts were telling her something was wrong. But nothing was. She had returned from her mission, she had to report to the other Changeling Queens and figure out a way to solve the threat to them and in doing so avenge her fallen friends. So why did it suddenly feel so wrong? Perhaps it was that she had acted differently. But had she? Twilight was no longer sure. Celestia. Perhaps she should have talked to Celestia before coming to the hive? That did make sense to her, since the whole reason she brought ponies to Draco hive was because the affliction seemingly only affected changelings. She should have spoken to the Princess, but then why had she neglected to? Her urgency was obvious, but it wouldn’t have been much of a detour. And then there was the regalia… Twilight glanced down at the imprisoned artefact, and it stared right back at her. It was still inert, and otherwise harmless within the shield. However, what if it had already done the damage? Queen Draco, under the influence of another, did attempt to do the same to Twilight before the latter successfully resisted. But how successfully? The assault on the corner of her mind ended, that dense fog and its distant light obscuring it completely. Twilight rubbed away the irritation in the corner of her eyes, missing the brief flicker of red magic emanating from them before evaporating into nothing, unable to fully manifest. Twilight forgot what she had been thinking about, but it mattered little. She still had to have a long talk with the others. So, with that in mind, she pressed on. The rest of the trip seemed to take only moments, the Changeling Queen reaching the central chamber and throwing the doors open with a loud creak, followed by a smash as they impacted the walls either side. The chatter within immediately silenced, all nine other Changeling Queens along with Princess Insecta all turning their reptilian-like eyes towards the arriving Twilight Sparkle. “Queen Twilight,” Queen Xerox greeted coldly in order to hide her surprise at the sudden entrance, sitting perfectly upright in her seat at the head of the council. “Our guards must have neglected to inform us of your arrival. Were you successful?” “Queen Draco is dead.” That opening remark certainly made an impact, the queens all sharing glances of shock and concern, along with a big of sorrow from the few who knew her as a friend. “Dead?” Xerox questioned. “How? Explain!” Twilight simply responded by bending the bubble shield around the regalia to perfectly fit it’s frame so as not to obstruct view of it, before simply throwing the still imprisoned regalia directly into the centre of the chamber. “We have a lot to talk about.” “So it would seem,” Xerox replied, humming in contemplation. “We shall take a short recess. After that I believe Queen Twilight should, as they say, take the reins from here on. I wish to hear everything she has to say.” Manehatten Rarity read over the letter she had recently received once again. It was definitely Spike’s writing, her perceptive eye left no doubts as to that. She of course had been hearing things around Manehatten, idle chatter and what was printed within the news and spoken of on the radio. Nothing concrete, however. At least, until she read that letter one more time just to be sure. Half packed bags sat in the lounge Rarity herself was seated in. The lounge had five doors leading out of it, three to separate bedrooms all with on suite bathrooms, another to the kitchen and the final door exiting out into the hotel hallways. The entire thing was highly luxurious in design and was as if an artist had corresponded with the architect in order to fully realise the most expensive and high class hotel rooms in all of Manehatten. Being one of the most recognised and successful fashionistas in Equestria, and a hero to boot, certainly had its benefits. While Rarity would have liked nothing more than to stay in her lavish surroundings, to continue with her in-progress design range aimed at changelings, her friends would always come first. “Do you have to go?” Puellula asked. “Or, I suppose, do we have to go?” “If the Queen is in trouble then we all need to go back, Pue,” Soronis stated in response to her little sister’s disheartened words. “I know, I just… I was really enjoying myself here. And I was happy to help Rarity with her new line.” “And I appreciate it, all of this was the least I could do for you two with all the help you’ve been,” Rarity stated, gesturing a hoof to their surroundings. “But your sister is right, we need to go back.” Puellula sighed. “When do we leave?” “Tomorrow morning. If I’m correct, Twilight should arrive at the Council Hive some point today. Hopefully the dear will send us some news soon.” “We can hope,” Soronis agreed. “You can just sense the… unease in the hive mind. We’ve lost a hive, a family, already. I’d rather not lose another.” “You won’t darling,” Rarity assured. “Combating ancient evils and ne’er-do-wells is basically routine by this point. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Twilight’s own mother, Serpens-” Soronis and Puellula flinched, and Rarity only then remembered that Serpens was their brother. His actions, added to that of his death, was something that still haunted the pair. Rarity finally put the letter down on a sofa, moving to apologetically comfort the pair. “I’m so sorry, I should have been more tactful with my words.” “You don’t need to,” Soronis assured. “There’s no excuse for what he did.” “Even protecting you, darling?” “He murdered innocent changelings and ponies alike!” Soronis snapped, Puellula just opted to stay in a saddened silence. “I don’t care why he did it, he DID IT!” Rarity wanted to say something, but closed her mouth when she realised she had nothing comforting to say. Serpens was evil, and the sisters discovering that eight years prior, after already losing their home, was a terrible thing. They didn’t find out until the business with Crudelis had concluded, Twilight herself had sat down with them and talked it through. To that very day, it was a sore subject she thoroughly regretted bringing up. “I’m sorry darling,” Rarity apologised again, for that was all she really could do. “We do still have a day left here. We can finish packing later, what do you say to a nice trip to the spa? I’m paying, of course.” Soronis sniffled, the changeling using one hoof to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes. She looked towards her sister, who had perked up slightly at the mention of a spa. “Alright,” Soronis half whispered. “Yeah. Spa. I think I need that.” “Very good darling, are you alight?” The changeling mare nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Let’s just-” Soronis and Puellula’s eyes both simultaneously widened, choked screams finding their way forth from their muzzles as they clutched their heads in agony. Rarity jumped backwards in fright, shock evident all over her face at the terrifying sight of her two young friends in unprecedented amounts of pain. “Girls!?” The Council Hive “And that is everything,” Twilight concluded, sitting proudly at the very head of the council. As she had told her tale, the regalia had remained inert at the very centre of the room. The queens eyed it suspiciously, the revelations Twilight had shared with them being quite jarring indeed. With Twilight finished, they glancing around, muttering amongst themselves. Twilight gave them a few moments to confer with one another before stamping her hoof and bringing the council back into order. “I have told you all there is to know thus far. Now, we need a plan.” “Are you certain of everything you told us?” Cocoon asked, her daughter sitting extra close to her. “Someone is behind all of this? Someone with the power to… control us?” “So it would seem.” “This is outrageous!” Queen Antennae roared. “We are Changeling Queens! Who could possibly hold such power?” “The realm of magic is full of untapped possibilities,” Twilight stated. “Especially in the realm of dark magic.” “And is that what you believe?” Tempora asked, a slight sneer in her voice. “That some female pony with dark magic could be responsible and yet stay hidden as she has?” “If they would be anything like the late King Sombra, it is possible,” Queen Carapace argued. “Not without an acute understanding of our hive mind, as that is how this control is being exerted. As they debated, none noticed a vague rainbow coloured magic sweeping the floor just in front of Twilight. The harmonious light seemed sickly, as if it was dying. Slowly, but surely, it began to dissipate. Meanwhile, the regalia was now free of its prison, Twilight having unconsciously undone it without ever realising. A soft red glow was interacting with the ancient, now sickly magic of the Elements of Harmony, subtly eating away at it. “Not a pony then,” Plastron commented. Tempora snorted. “At least one of you can see sense on that.” “So… a changeling?” Acadica questioningly stated. Queen Arisana hummed in agreement. “Vulgaris perhaps? She was always a close ally of Queen Crudelis after all.” “She’s missing along with the others,” Queen Pupa pointed out. “So not likely.” “How do we know for certain she is a victim in this?” Arisana shot back. “It’s not Queen Vulgaris,” Twilight announced factually. “Or Austriaca, Germanica, Nursei, Ingrica, Orbata or Pensylvanica. No Changeling Queen is responsible.” The rainbow light vanished with a finality. “Well that’s reassuring,” Princess Insecta commented sarcastically. “Then who?” “Indeed,” her mother stated in agreement. “No Changeling Queen you say, Twilight?” “That’s right, I have my own theory as to who it is. Though, you may not like it, or even believe me for that matter.” “I believe we can judge that,” Cocoon replied, before falling silent as her eyes diverted to the ground, flicking from side to side in confusion as she browsed her hive mind. Several other Changeling Queens did the same, all checking their hive minds as something became apparent to them. Panic was clearly building up in their eyes, mixed largely with confusion. “There was once a story my mother told me,” Twilight continued. “Three stories of the origins of this very place. The third is where we shall look; the legend of the Changeling Emp-” “Twilight?” Cocoon interrupted. “You guards, check on them. Now.” Twilight looked at her curiously. “My guards?” “Now.” Twilight sensed the urgency in Cocoon’s voice, and so did as she was asked. She reached out to the guards Carduus had assigned to her, the ones she had left to guard the hive while the session was ongoing. Every possible segment of the hive mind she searched, her brow creasing as her confusion increased. She now saw what had gotten the others so riled up, she couldn’t sense any of them. They were all gone. “Carduus?” “Yes, Twilight?” Carduus responded all the way back at the Equestrian Hive. “How is everything at home?” “Fine… Why?” Twilight glanced towards the others, now sharing their unease. Her hive was safe, Carduus was unaware of what happened to the guards he had sent with her. She herself didn’t know why she could no longer sense them, all she knew was that the pressure on her mind had suddenly increased in intensity as the fog began to clear away and that light grew lighter. And then, finally, Twilight finally realised what she had been missing; she finally remembered what was so wrong about the situation in which she found herself. Looking down at the regalia, the shield no longer sealed it away. She now knew why she had abandoned her pony escort, why she had such trouble thinking and why she had brought the regalia itself to the centre of changeling civilisation without so much as a further examination verifying its inactivity. “It’s a trap!” A violent surge of red magical energies erupted throughout the council chamber, striking each and every single Changeling Queen squarely in the chest. The doors swung open and a squad of changeling drones of various hives moved in, all with a deep red glow to their eyes. The same quickly became true of all the others. Tempora, Pupa and even Cocoon all soon had a dark red magic seeping from their eyes as their resistance lessened and they unwillingly began to accept their new positions. Twilight Sparkle herself struggled to stand, her cutie mark glowing as she called upon her connection to the Element of Magic to retain herself, but without her friends being present the effort was ultimately futile. She fell back into her seat, the red glow overtaking her eyes and her body becoming uncooperative even while her mind, unlike the others, seemed to retain some semblance of control. The red magic retreated from the various Changeling Queen and coalesced at the centre of the room just by the discarded regalia. The magic began to take shape, dissipating as a chitin-clad figure emerged from the ethereal prison the Elements of Harmony had held her in for so long. She had never left the throne room, but had been disembodied and bound to it as Princess Luna would be to the moon so many years later, only hers was supposed to be permanent. Her body finished materialising, and she observed her surroundings with hungry, and yet elated eyes. During her observation, she located the regalia on the floor and picked it up with her magic. Placing it back on her chest, the piece almost seemed happy, being reunited with its mistress after so very long. She finally turned towards the paralysed Twilight, who studied her back. This changeling stood a head taller than any other Changeling Queen and had an ethereal teal mane akin to that of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The changeling slowly began to approach Twilight, almost like a predator approaching its immobilised prey. Twilight new she was correct, her theory had been all but confirmed by this changeling’s appearance. The Empress of the Changelings had returned. Twilight still had access to her own hive mind, the Empress had yet to take it or the drones not inside the Council Hive away from her. Obviously the Empress wished to talk before enacting Twilight’s fate, an opportunity Twilight wouldn’t let slip. Even if she couldn’t save herself, she could still save the Equestrian Hive. While the Empress was focused solely on her, Twilight, with a heavy heart, was quick to sever every single one of her remaining free drones from the hive mind. Princess Celestia would help them, she had to. “You believe severing them will save them?” the Empress asked, curious as to the Changeling Queen’s response. Twilight’s fear filled eyes met the Empress’, and she was compelled to answer honestly. “Equestria will save them.” “Equestria? I have heard it mentioned in your little meetings. The ponies’ new country? It would appear those hapless equines made something of themselves after all, such a shame it is all now at an end.” “They’re strong,” Twilight spat. “Stronger than you.” The Empress chuckled, a sadistic tone clearly audible. “Such confidence, and yet you know nothing about me. Your defiance is to be expected however, as the blood of my jailor runs through you still.” “W-what?” “Your ‘mark’. Your love of such petty freedoms. You are so much like Queen Crepuscule. And… those gems. I can almost taste their stench on you.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “The Elements of Harmony?” “Is that what they’re called? Those… things imprisoned me, wielded by the hooves of your ancestor. You forgot me, but I never forgot any of you, Twilight Sparkle. The Changeling Queens, my most able servants who defied and cast out the apex of the changeling species. I know how much our race has declined, while we could have held dominion over all other species!” “Friendship is… more rewarding than… dominance.” “What a pathetic viewpoint,” the Empress dismissed. “We were strong, our ascension was part of the world’s natural order. That order was spoilt, no longer. And you made it happen, Twilight. You brought the regalia home, the last piece of the puzzle required to be rid of that accursed magic. Four thousand years I waited for it to decay, it was all I needed after that.” “You got lucky,” Twilight spat. “It might never have returned had Queen Draco not found it.” “Not true,” the Empress calmly replied. “It was always going to be recovered, and if not for you it would have been sooner.” “What?” “I needed a vessel, and emissary to the outside world who would retrieve my regalia and return it to me. And I found one such individual, I believe you were related?” Twilight’s eyes widened, flashes of a changeling being sent directly to Twilight’s mind by the Empress. “Crudelis?” “She wanted so badly to be powerful, for changelings to be led by her into a new empire. She wanted to be me. Unfortunately there is only one of me, and it shall stay that way. Really, even with what limited outside influence I had up until this point within this hive it was child’s play to lead her on the right path. She sought that regalia, and would have become what the Changeling Queen known as Draco became. Until you killed her, of course.” “A fate you shall share!” Twilight shouted in rage. “Crudelis was your pawn!? You sent her on the path that killed my mother!?” “Yes,” she simply replied as if it was no big deal. Anger built up within Twilight, who fought a futile battle against her invisible restraints. “Y-you… you… BITCH!” “You have a fire in you, young one. You are so much like her…” the Empress mused. “No matter. In time the truly loyal may gain small amounts of free will, but most shall remain under my thrall until you have earned redemption for your betrayal of me. And now as it stands changelings remain without a hive and with free will within that ‘Equestria’ you speak of. Such a terrible fate. They shall be raised back to greatness, and the ponies will crumble and come to serve us, as is the natural order of things.” “You’re insane!” “Petty insults do not faze me, Queen. I am Empress Immortalis, and our kind will come to dominate once more, and you are going to help me.” Immortalis stepped forward so she was muzzle to muzzle with Twilight, a fang filled grin on her face. “You will tell me everything you know about Equestria, and about the gaps in my historical knowledge. And then, by your own hoof, a lot of ponies are going to die.” “I won’t!” “You will,” the Empress responded factually, her horn touching Twilight’s as a magical aura forced its way into the Changeling Queen’s brain. “You will serve me to your dying breath. You will do so willingly. And now, you shall join us within the hive mind fully. But, unfortunately, Queen Crepuscule was never punished for her actions. I promised to make her reconnection hurt. And I will keep that promise, now.” Twilight screamed.