//------------------------------// // A Tale Of Two Hives // Story: Two Kings And A Queen // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// Chrysalis's rage was quickly boiling over. Thorax's suggestion that they join their two hives together had been too much for her to take. "Are you out of your multi-colored mind?!" She roared, her horn sparking. "Join our hives together? I would rather have my wings pulled off and be forced to eat them! I would sooner drown myself in a pool of Timberwolf urine! I would even prefer to bathe in hydra saliva!" “Chrysalis, please. I ask that you hear me out.” Thorax cringed, a little cowed by Chrysalis’s rage. “Hear you out?! I think I’d rather throw you out!” Chrysalis spat. “You and all your traitorous ilk!” “Come on Chrys, we talked about this!” Sleight tried to calm her. “We agreed to listen to what Thorax has to say.” "That was only because I never imagined he would speak such utter madness!" Chrysalis roared. “At least, let's hear why he wants to merge the two hives.” Sleight suggested. “Please… for me?” Chrysalis snarled through gritted teeth, as Sleight placed his Changeling hoof on her shoulder. His gentle touch helped to cool her temper enough for her to think straight. "Very well." She growled, turning her gaze to Thorax."Proceed.” "Thank you." Thorax smiled. "Just get to the point real quick, okay?" Sleight urged. "Suffice to say, you do not want to drag this out." "Good point." Thorax nodded. "I'll get right down to the crux of the matter. To start with, despite the gulf between our hives, I've made a point of staying informed of any major happenings regarding you and your subjects." "Oh, have you now?" Chrysalis scowled. "I heard about your peace treaty with the ponies, your marriage to Sleight... I even heard all about that awful viral attack you suffered. All the deaths and hardship... I can't imagine how that must have felt for you to endure..." Thorax declared. "It was an ordeal I don't care to repeat..." Chrysalis bowed her head in sorrow for that terrible time. "I'm well aware that your hive's numbers have been greatly depleted by the experience." Thorax said solemnly. "You are rebuilding and repopulating, but it could be years before you return to your former glory. Meanwhile, there are still families torn apart by the infection, friends and loved ones lost forever to the disease. We may be different inside and out, but we are all still Changelings. I can't bear to see my kinfolk suffering like this." "So is that why you propose this merger of hives?" Chrysalis frowned. "Because you look upon us with pity? You think us weak? Helpless? In need of your charity?" "Chrys..." Sleight tried to talk her down. "Or worse, maybe all this talk is just a smokescreen?" Chrysalis growled. "You seek to take advantage of our moment of weakness by claiming to want to join our hives together, but instead you intend to subjugate us all!" "I would never-!" Thorax gasped, horrified. "I can't believe you would even think that of me!” “Really?” Chrysalis snarled. “You don’t believe I wouldn’t think highly of the Changeling who took my hive from me? Are you as dense as you are treacherous?!” “Look, Chrysalis, even if I wanted to take this hive…” Thorax groaned. “Which I don’t, mind you... I wouldn’t be able to anyway!” "What do you mean by that?” Sleight asked. Thorax let out a sigh. “You see, your hive isn’t the only one that has fallen on hard times as of late.” Thorax confessed sadly, “This recent winter brought with it a particularly bitter cold snap. Since we still live in the badlands, we had little in terms of defense against it. Several of our young and our elderly succumbed to the freeze. And the weather did a number on the surrounding vegetation, limiting our food supply…" He lowered his head. “Things are rather bad right now…” "So the other half doesn't live as well as it appears to." Chrysalis sneered. "It would appear you've come crawling back to the Queen you betrayed, pleading for help." "Not help." Thorax corrected her. "Mutual prosperity. At the moment, both our hives have been weakened by circumstance. Neither one is at full strength. If either of us were to come under attack… I fear the outcome would not be to any of our satisfaction.." "He has a good point." Sleight told Chrysalis. "What if the Forefathers come back for round two?" Chrysalis's brow furrowed in worry for a moment, but she quickly regained her poise. "But together, we would be able to stand against any attack." Thorax smiled. "It would be a show of solidarity, a way to prove to the rest of Equestria that our two hives stand united, and will be able to endure any threat." "Another good point." Sleight agreed. "What do you think, Chrys?" Chrysalis stood in place for a moment, mulling things over. "I think I've heard enough of this bleating nonsense." She snarled finally. "After all these years, you haven't changed at all, Thorax. You're still the same backstabbing traitor you always were. You already took one hive from me, and now you want to take another." "That is not what I want, Chrysalis." Thorax growled, his patience wearing thin. "It was never what I wanted! I didn't ask to become a King, I didn't ask to be the leader of your old hive, but fate simply had other plans in mind for me." "Oh, it was fate, was it?" Chrysalis sneered. "Of course. You didn't do anything. You're completely innocent... I think not!" "Chrysalis, come on..." Sleight tried to step in. "Don't 'Chrysalis' me, Sleight." Chrysalis glared. "You have no idea what this turncoat put me through. He took my subjects, my crown, my home... he even took my dignity from me! It took years for me to regain what I had lost through his actions!" "Chrysalis, I want you to know that I never meant to cause you such pain." Thorax sighed. "Despite our differences, you were still my mother-" "Exactly!" Chrysalis snarled. "I laid your egg, raised you from a larva. And what did you do in return? You betrayed me, deserted the hive, then came back and took everything from me!" "I did what I had to do." Thorax insisted. "But the past is just that: the past. We need to move on, and think about the future." "Absolutely." Chrysalis sneered. "And I'm thinking of a future where I don't have to look upon the faces of you and your hive of traitors." "But Chrysalis-" Sleight started. Chrysalis silenced Sleight with a particularly venomous glare. "Chrysalis, think about your own subjects." Thorax urged. "If your hive suffers another attack, they may not survive. Is that what you want?" "What I want is for you and your crayon-colored ilk to leave this hive and never come back!" Chrysalis spat. "If you just listen to reason, maybe you can avoid losing another hive-" Thorax frowned. Upon the words ‘losing another hive’, Thorax and Sleight both realized he had touched that button… and that he shouldn’t have done that. "GET OUT!!" Chrysalis roared, her final vestige of reason snapping. "GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I BLAST YOU OUT!!" Chrysalis's horn began sparking wildly, proving her words were no idle threat. Sleight glanced worriedly at Thorax, concerned about what his wife might do to him should he refuse. However, Thorax let out a sigh. “Very well…” Thorax nodded. "If you want me and my advisors to leave, then we will. But rest assured, this is not over." “It isn’t?” Sleight frowned in confusion. "No." Thorax shook his head. "Me and my associates will be setting up camp, not far from this hive. Once you have calmed down, I will be back. This matter is too important for me to abandon so easily. I will wait for you to come to the right decision, no matter how long it takes." "Then you will be waiting for a very long time." Chrysalis growled. "Now, leave!!" "Of course." Thorax nodded solemnly. "It was good to meet you, Sleight." "And you." Sleight said quietly, earning himself another glare from Chrysalis. "Goodbye for now." Thorax turned. "I hope this isn't the last I hear from you on this matter, Chrysalis. You know our hives could both profit from this." "I know one thing: Never trust a traitor." Chrysalis snarled. Without another word, Thorax departed. An awkward silence hung in the air for moments after. "I thought you said you'd keep that temper of yours under control." Sleight broke the silence, with a disapproving frown. "I said I'd try." Chrysalis scoffed. "I wasn't prepared for Thorax to make such a vile, ridiculous proposal. How wrong he is, to think I would ever allow that. That I would ever forgive his betrayal..." “But you can’t deny that he has a point.” Sleight pointed out. “Our numbers are still pretty low. If the Forefathers tried attacking us again, we'd be in big trouble." "You overestimate them, Sleight." Chrysalis snorted. "They only hit us so hard because of their precious virus, which we now have a defense against. Even with our numbers depleted, we can easily withstand anything else they try to throw at us, and crush the aggressors into pulp. We need no help from Thorax and his traitors to accomplish that." "I hope you're right..." Sleight frowned. "Of course I'm right." Chrysalis said stubbornly. "But still, it wouldn't hurt to have a little back up, right?" Sleight asked hopefully. "You actually think Thorax has a valid point, don't you?" Chrysalis growled. "You think our hive cannot stand on its own?" "I didn't say that." Sleight retorted. "I'm disappointed in you, my King." Chrysalis shook her head. "Have faith in our subjects, Sleight. Have faith in me." "I do have faith in you, Chrysalis." Sleight frowned. "And our subjects. You know I do." "Then have faith that I'm making the right choice, and that we can press on, standing on our own four hooves." Chrysalis said firmly. "Can you promise me that?" "...Without a second thought." Sleight nodded solemnly. "Good." Chrysalis pulled him in for a kiss. "Now, all this excitement has made me a little tired. I need to take a quick rest. I trust you can handle things without me for a while?" "Of course, darling." Sleight nodded. "Thank you, my love." Chrysalis smiled softly. Outside, the Changeling subjects watched warily as Thorax and his advisors took their leave. Several of them were terrified that Thorax's presence could have sent Chrysalis flying into an unstoppable rage that could undo all the repairs that had been made, and Chrysalis's piercing scream of anger seemed to have confirmed their fears. But to their relief, no such thing seemed to have happened. The outsiders were leaving without incident. "Thank the first Queen." One Changeling smiled. "They're leaving." "The last thing we needed was more trouble around here." Another declared. "Good riddance." A third snorted. "Ingrates." Buzzwing, one of Thorax's advisors, growled. "We came offering our help, and this is how they repay us." "It's okay, Buzzwing." Thorax told him. "They don’t know any better. From what I've seen, what happened between me and Chrysalis all those years ago is still a touchy subject. Chances are, they don’t know our side of the story.” “Well, it isn’t right.” Buzzwing grumbled. “What are we going to do if the Queen won’t help us?” “Don’t you fret, Buzzwing.” Thorax smiled hopefully. “I don't intend to go back to our hive until Chrysalis changes her mind. For now, all we can do is just wait and give Chrysalis time to deliberate on my proposal." "But can we afford to wait that long?" Buzzwing asked. "Our kinfolk-" "Are more than capable of standing firm until we return." Thorax smiled. "However long that may be... On the upside, I do believe I convinced King Sleight at least.” “The pony King?” Buzzwing frowned. “Do you think that will make a difference?” “For everypony’s sake… I hope so.” Thorax nodded. More unpleasant whispers and thoughts followed Thorax's delegation as they left. One Changeling, however, wasn't happy to see Thorax and his group leave: Glinda. 'They're leaving already?' She frowned. 'But I have so many questions! How did they get so colorful? Why don't they have holes in their legs?' Glinda wanted to ask those questions verbally, but the attitude the rest of the hive had towards their visitors made her think that was a bad idea. 'I think I know who I can ask, though...' She smiled, glancing at the tower. Back in the tower, after Chrysalis had retired to the bedchambers, Sleight exited the throne room. An anxious Wizel, Sazh and Char were waiting for him. "How did it go?" Wizel asked. "We heard the screaming, then we saw Thorax and his advisors leave." Sazh declared. "I'm guessing things didn't go so well?" "You guess right." Sleight sighed. "Thorax muzzzt have zzzaid zzzomething really bad to get Chryzzzalizzz that mad." Char declared. "You could say that." Sleight frowned. "Thorax asked Chrysalis if we could join our two hives together." "Seriously?!" Sazh gaped. "Yeah." Sleight nodded. "Turns out, Thorax's hive has been having some rough times lately too. He figured we could all profit from a little synergy." "It sounds logical." Wizel admitted. "We could certainly use some support after our recent troubling events…” He then frowned. “But Chrysalis would never agree to that." "I zzzhould zzzay not." Char nodded. "After everything Thorax cozzzt her, I'm not zzzurprizzzed Chryzzzalizzz reacted that way. I'm juzzzt zzzurprizzzed zzzhe didn't take it much worzzze." “Still, it’s a shame.” Sazh frowned. “Having the whole hive back together again... That would have been nice for all of us, to finally unite with our estranged brothers and sisters.” “That it would have.” Wizel sighed. “But judging from what I've seen, Chrysalis didn’t see it that way.” "I tried my best to help her see reason." Sleight groaned. "But she just wouldn't budge. She's determined to not have anything to do with Thorax or his hive." "After what happened between them, you can't really blame her, can you?" Sazh asked. "Thorax took almost everything away from her, remember?" "I know, but still..." Sleight frowned. "It's been years. And Chrysalis isn't the same Changeling she once was. Why can't she just let it go?" "Because she still has her pride." Wizel replied. "Thorax took everything from her. That is something she can never forgive." "Yeah, she can be pretty stubborn when she wants to be..." Sleight sighed. "Am I to take it we're talking about your lovely wife?" Prometheus, Sleight's Changeling grandfather, walked down the hall towards the group. "What's going on?" He yawned. "Can't an old Changeling take a nap around here? I heard Chrysalis screaming about something." "Hello, grandpa." Sleight rolled his eyes. "Taking yet another nap, huh?" "When you get to be my age, you have to get your rest whenever you can." Prometheus yawned. "Now, kindly answer my question, grandson of mine." "Well, this Changeling from another hive named Thorax came by." Sleight explained. "You may not know about them, but-" "Ah, so Thorax finally dropped by, eh?" Prometheus mused. "Took him long enough." "You know about Thorax?" Sazh asked. "Oh, yes." Prometheus nodded. "I heard all about what happened back in the day. How giving love allowed Thorax and his hive to transform like that. I was quite surprised, I can tell you that. But in a way, I can see the poetic irony of it all: Giving love, rather than stealing it. I would have taken that form myself, if not for my belief in tradition... well that, and I'm far too old and set in my ways to invoke such a massive alteration. Your father wasn't a fan of the idea, either." "He wasn't?" Sleight frowned. "I thought he'd jump at the chance to have his Changeling half look a little more... agreeable." "You would think so, but no." Prometheus shrugged. "He believed it would simply mean changing 'from one abomination to another'. As far as he was concerned, it would make little difference." "Ah, dad..." Sleight sighed. "Thorax offered Chrysalis the opportunity to join our hives together." Wizel declared. "But Chrysalis vehemently refused." "Not surprising." Prometheus sighed. "She's as stubborn as her mother was." "I'm hoping that isn't the case." Sleight said hopefully. "Thorax said that he'll be sticking around, close by. Maybe after she's had a while to think about it, she'll be more open to the idea." "Fat chance." Char snorted. "Sorry pal, I'm just not seeing it." Sazh said flatly. "Neither am I." Wizel mused. "You forget, I can be a pretty smooth talker when I want to be." Sleight boasted. "I might be able to sway her over to Thorax's way of thinking." "Such relentless optimism, even in the face of overwhelming reality." Prometheus smiled. "You must get that from your mother's side of the family." "I know it's a long shot." Sleight admitted. "But I'm gonna try anyway. Because Thorax is right; These two hives have been divided for too long. Joining back together will make us all stronger." "I'm sure it would." Wizel sighed. "But Chrysalis is adamant in her hatred of Thorax's hive. The fact that she even allowed them to enter our hive without having them slaughtered is nothing short of a miracle. I'd say there's a better chance of Discord himself getting a nice, quiet office job than there is of Chrysalis ever accepting Thorax's hive back into the fold." "As every good gambler knows, long odds pay big." Sleight smirked. "I zzzay it'zzz a fool'zzz errand." Char scoffed. "And many of uzzz would agree." Unbeknownst to any of them, Glinda had been listening from around a corner. She had meant to walk right up to them, but after finding them deep in conversation, she'd decided to wait until they were done. And of course, this meant she had heard everything. 'Those other Changelings... were like us once?' She thought. 'And they took on these new forms by giving love? Wow... but wouldn't that mean I can transform that way too? I wonder what I'd look like: maybe green, or yellow...' She shook herself out of her train of thought. 'But what would the others say? What would mother say? She seemed so angry at them… if I did that… it’s not worth it… right?' As the Sleight walked that way, Glinda turned around, intending to make it look like she was just wandering around the tower's corridors. "Hi, Glinda." Sleight smiled. "Hey, Sleight." Glinda pretended to have just noticed him. "What's going on? Who were all those colorful characters?" "Just a different breed of Changeling." Sleight declared. "Their leader, King Thorax, came to have a little chat with me and Chrysalis. Nothing major." "Really?" Glinda grinned, having heard Chrysalis's shriek earlier. "Things did get a little... spirited." Sleight shrugged. "Our guests had to depart for now. But King Thorax and his advisors will be sticking close by for a while." "You don't say..." Glinda mused. "Yeah." Sleight nodded. "This must be pretty surprising for you, huh?" "No kidding." Glinda declared. "I knew about most of the other hives, but this one... it's unlike any other." "You can say that again..." Sleight chuckled. "Guess you're not the only King Changeling around any more, huh?" Glinda smiled. "Nope." Sleight admitted. "Makes me feel a little less special, I gotta say." "You'll always be special to me, Sleight." Glinda hugged him. "Ah, thanks, kiddo." Sleight hugged her back. "You're pretty special yourself." "Thanks." Glinda grinned. "Now, you run along." Sleight urged. "I got some important King business to attend to." "Don't you always?" Glinda smirked, as she departed. "You know me so well..." Sleight smiled after the Changeling he thought of as his own daughter. After attending to a few royal matters, Sleight was joined by the newly rested Chrysalis. "There you are." He smiled. "Enjoy your power nap?" "Very much so." Chrysalis nodded. "Time to put the unpleasantness behind us, and press on with the day." "Yeah, sure." Sleight nodded. "And if I ever see or hear of Thorax again, it will be far too soon." Chrysalis scowled. "Uh-huh..." Sleight cringed. 'Maybe I should wait a day or two before bringing this up again. Just in case...' A couple of days later, Vito Crest, son of Prince Blueblood, came to visit Glinda, his fillyfriend. Along the way, he passed Thorax's group, who had, as Thorax had promised, set up camp outside the hive's walls. "Yikes." He said under his breath. "Wonder if those guys glow in the dark?" As he continued walking, he caught sight of Thorax, deep in conversation with one of his advisors. "Who is that with the moose antlers?" He wondered to himself. "Never seen him before... Oh, wait. He's that King Thorax guy dad mentioned once. Completely forgot about him until now..." Once inside the hive, Vito was greeted enthusiastically by Glinda. He gladly returned the affection; After the Forefathers' viral attack, both had feared they would never see each other again. Once the crisis was over, they were determined not to take their time together for granted. "Hey, V!" Glinda hugged him tightly. "Hey, Glin." Vito kissed her on the cheek. "Did you miss me?" "Like you even have to ask." Glinda nudged him playfully. "Just checking." Vito chuckled. "And just so we're clear, I missed you too." "I know." Glinda nuzzled against him. "So, what's up with all those new Changelings hanging around outside?" Vito asked. "They came to negotiate some kind of treaty." Glinda declared. "Something about bringing our two hives together. But negotiations are going kind of... slowly. King Thorax isn't giving up, though. He and his delegates are sticking around until they can reach an agreement with our hive." "They're all really flashy-looking, aren't they?" Vito mused. "I've seen parrots that weren't as colorful as they are." "I couldn't believe my eyes at first." Glinda admitted. "They look so... bright, and with such beautiful and varied hues. I've never seen that kind of color diversity in a single hive before." "It's something, alright." Vito admitted. "Once you get used to it, they actually look kinda nice." "They do, don't they?" Glinda frowned. "Makes my plain old black shell look really dull." "I wouldn't say that." Vito assured her. "Black goes with everything, you know. And they say it's slimming, too." "Are you calling me fat?" Glinda smiled wryly. "Never." Vito declared. "Besides, it's not what you look like on the outside that matters. It's what's on the inside that counts. You're sweet, and funny, and really fun to be with. That's why I love you, Glin." "And that's why I love you, V." Glinda blushed. "You always know just what to say, you charmer, you." "What can I say?" Vito smirked. "Guess I picked that up from my dad. He always was a ladies' stallion." "Like father, like son." Glinda beamed, pulling Vito in for a kiss. "That's always worth the trip." Vito chuckled. "Speaking of trips, wanna go for a walk by the river? It's a beautiful day, and we don't wanna waste it." "Sounds good to me." Glinda beamed. The two young sweethearts departed the hive, enjoying a day of fun and relaxation, and especially enjoying each others' company. Alas, all too soon, Vito had to return home to Canterlot. "I'll be back soon." He kissed Glinda goodbye. "Promise." "I know you will." Glinda beamed. "You're the best coltfriend a girl could ask." "And you're the best girl a guy could ask for." Vito returned the sentiment. "I know." Glinda smiled. As Vito departed, Glinda took a look at herself in a puddle of water. 'Am I, though?' She wondered. 'Or can I be even better?' That evening, Sleight and Chrysalis prepared for bed. "My, what a productive day." Chrysalis smiled. "After everything that's happened, it's good to see our hive returning to it's former glory." "Yeah, it is." Sleight nodded. Chrysalis was in a very good mood. The rebuilding was moving ahead of schedule, and the young ones were developing nicely, though they were still quite a ways away from the hive regaining their former numbers. Sleight believed that this would be a good time to bring up Thorax and his offer, banking on Chrysalis's good mood curbing her anger. But he knew it was still a long shot, and thus, required a gentle touch... "So, uh.... I was thinking." He said tentatively. "What about?" Chrysalis asked. "Well, it concerns the whole Thorax thing." Sleight started. "It does, does it?" Chrysalis frowned. "Funny. Thorax's very existence is concern enough for me." "I was thinking about his offer." Sleight declared. "To have our two hives join together." "Utter nonsense." Chrysalis sneered. "We don't need him or his traitorous kind. We can continue on and prosper by ourselves." "I know that." Sleight nodded. "But it's still going to take a while. And there's always the chance of some Changeling-hating nutjob taking advantage of our vulnerability. As low as our numbers are right now, we may not be able to survive." "That's assuming there is anyone foolish enough to challenge us." Chrysalis smirked. "The Forefathers' failure is well-known, and I doubt there are any others willing to take us on.” "That's true." Sleight admitted. "But maybe Thorax is on to something here. Maybe our two hives would be better together. Stronger, more diverse." "If by 'diverse', you mean 'impure'." Chrysalis snarled. "I refuse to allow my children to mingle with those gaudy-looking traitors." "But think of those other Changelings." Sleight urged. "They've been having such a hard time lately. I'm sure they could really benefit from your wisdom and strength..." "Really, Sleight?" Chrysalis frowned. "Flattery? I wouldn't be very 'wise' if I fell for that, now would I?" "I, er..." Sleight stuttered. "I don't understand why you're so interested in having Thorax and his traitors join with us, and frankly, I don't care." Chrysalis said coldly. "The fact of the matter is that Thorax and his kind rejected me, betrayed me, and forced me out of my home." "But that was years ago!" Sleight protested. "Yes, and I spent most of the years afterward desperately trying to reclaim what I had lost." Chrysalis seethed. "What Thorax and his turncoats took from me. I will never allow those backstabbers among us ever again." "Chrysalis, please." Sleight pleaded. "I'm sure that if you just-" "That is enough, Sleight." Chrysalis growled. "I have already made my decision, and I'm sticking with it." "But-" Sleight started. "But nothing." Chrysalis glared. "Our hive will have nothing to do with Thorax's, and that is final. You may be my husband, but you are not my master. I can think for myself. In fact, I'm insulted that you thought you could talk me out of this. That you thought it would only take a few sweet words and some half-way coherent arguments to make all the pain that the multicolored filth have brought upon me go away." "Chrys, I-" Sleight cringed. "Forget it." Chrysalis climbed into bed, a sour expression on her face. "Let's just go to sleep." "Yes, dear..." Sleight sighed. 'So much for her good mood...' Sleight joined Chrysalis on the bed, climbing under the covers. But as he made to hold his wife, Chrysalis turned her back on him, making a point to lie as far apart from him as possible. "Good night, my King." Chrysalis hissed spitefully. "Night..." Sleight laid back on his side of the bed, dejected. A myriad of thoughts were swimming through his head, all relating to the current situation. His mind expressed those thoughts in the best way it deemed possible. '...Buck.' Sleight thought glumly.