The normally vast and barren landscape of the Badlands had a different look to it on this Day of Mourning, hundreds of thousands of changelings had gathered to pay respect to the fallen queen and instead of the normal wind swept plains it was lightly raining thanks to Rainbow Dash getting some rain clouds. Whereas the Badlands Hive only had around 12,000 changelings in it, the others came from when the other queens brought a small faction of their own hives as a security detail. When they saw the Changeling 6, the other queens couldn't believe it but after proving they were themselves the funeral and wake proceeded as planned. Afterwards is when things got interesting. "So you fully renounced Equestrian law to join our species?" The senior queen, Queen Themis, asked as all the queens gathered in the throne room.
"Yes and no," Twilight answered. "whereas we gave up our lives of being ponies, we fully intend on establishing diplomatic relations with Equestria as well as several other nations."
"What benefit could those ponies possibly give?" Queen Saphron asked in a slightly bitter tone. "I know your judgement must be a little clouded Queen Twilight Sparkle, but your past has nothing to do with the future, in time you will come to see them as inferior to our grand species and will come to dispise them. Your own brother and aunt wiped out my own sister's invasion plans, granted she was an idiot even attempting that in the first place, but she was still family."
"You are dead wrong about what you said." Twilight spoke in a tone none of her friends had heard before, it was a little dark for her personality but they brushed it off as part of the species change. "The past DOES impact the future because if you don't learn from the past history will repeat itself. None of us will dispise anypony or see them as lower than us and they in fact have something to give us. If mine and my co-queens plans fall into motion perfectly then everyling will be able to coexist with ponies and other species peacefully. We as a race will be able to thrive and there will no longer be any need for love raids, so in the end there are no losers in the deal."
"And just why do you think there would be no need to do anymore love raids?" Another queen, Queen Glacial Wind, asked. She was named that at birth for a reason, the moment she hatched from her egg she summoned an icey breeze that froze the queen that had laid Glacial's egg, instantly making her the queen of her hive. Not only was she the youngest of them, not counting the Changeling 6, she was also the most feared.
"Interspecies relationships." Pinkie said with a small giggle, but the other queens balked at the idea.
"Your beliefs are tainting our species!" An enraged Queen Omenia exclaimed.
"AND WE WANTED NO PART OF THIS TO BEGIN WITH!" All chatter ceased as everyling froze in their chitin, Fluttershy was the one who yelled and judgeing by the look on the yellow schemed queen's face she was in a sour mood. "Everyling should be ashamed of themselves, me and my friends have not been changelings very long; but common sense, something that you all clearly lack, tells me that this is not the proper behavior for ANY changeling on a Day of Mourning. Just because we are the queens of our hives does NOT mean we are above them when it comes to rules and regulations. We are changelings just like our drones, only difference being we lay their eggs and they look up to us to protect and care for them like a mother would. Me and my co-queens made this decision to become Chrysalis' heirs out of the goodness of our hearts and because it was the right thing to do since we robbed her of the chance for her to have a true heir and all of you know it. I can't speak on the behalf of my friends since I don't know their personal ideal feelings, but I for one don't regret it a bit. Each of you should spend some time reflecting on your behavior here today and see where your actions were in the wrong and we shall settle this debate at the next Summit meeting."
"And what gives you the right to tell me what to do Queen Fluttershy? As the senior queen, you are stepping out of line by ord-" Queen Themis was stopped dead in her tracks as Fluttershy locked her in her stare.
"And you are forgetting something Queen Themis..." The other queens backed off as far as they could as Fluttershy decended from her throne and got muzzle-to-muzzle with Themis. "Despite your title, whenever you visit another queen's hive you abide to their rules. If they want you to leave you have to respect their wishes and leave, so I am going to ask this nicely...please gather your drones and leave the Badlands right now Queen Themis."
Themis didn't respond until Fluttershy dropped the stare, and even then she was slightly shaking. "As you wish Queen Fluttershy, but remember who I am when it comes time for the Summit, I could make your very existence a living Tartarus if I wanted to."
"But you won't because you would be breaking your very own Code of Conduct." Fluttershy said in her normal tone without skipping a beat and refusing to back down until Themis had left, at which point she returned to her throne.
"Not even I have been able to make Queen Themis quiver like that...that includes the time I raided her hive and sparred with her." Queen Glacial Wind said in awe. "I think you just took my place as next-in-line after Themis dies. Not only that, I want peace between our respective hives."
"If my friends say it is ok then we will, especially Twilight since she is the impromptu leader of us 6." Fluttershy said looking at her friends.
"Not when it comes to nogotiations, that is now your department Flutters." Twi said with a small nod. "I agree to the peace with Queen Glacial Wind's hive."
"Agreed." The other four Elemental Queens said in unison. Much to their surprise, by the time each queen had left, they each, minus Themis, had a peace treaty in place with the Badlands Hive.
"Well I think it is time to say Queen Themis is in trouble, and I think she knows it, she is now our sole problem "in house" so to speak." Rainbow said once the last visiting queen had left.
"I agree Rainbow, and that took a lot of guts Flutters doing what you did." Twilight commented.
"I was just defending our hive and drones." Flutters said with a side wing shrug. Meanwhile in a hive a good distance away, Queen Themis was in her throne room all by herself while sitting on her throne brooding, she had even ordered her drones to leave her alone. "So...it seems like I might have a contender for my throne...but no matter, I refuse to give up without a fight even if it kills me.." She then retired to her chambers to sleep off her worries.