The sound of buzzing swarmed the night sky as Queen Argia led a few dozen of her changelings, whom were carrying a delicate package - a black and orchid colored cocoon, the colors of their specified group from the Kingdom Coenagrionidae of the Wetlands- above themselves, to a suitable destination only she could find.
Looking up at the moon, she saw the faint silhouette of Luna, the Alicorn Princess of the Moon staring down at the world.
How long has it been since her banishment?
Idly digging through the depths of her mind, Queen Argia estimated the time to be about 894… or was it 895 years?
It was so hard to keep track of time when one had lived so long.
She shook her head to rid of her speculations. Now was not the time for that.
“Not enough rocks.” She muttered glancing over what was a seemingly peaceful stream of water.
“Too open.” She snarled as they flew over an open meadow of grass and flowers.
“The water is filthy!” She growled as she led the small swarm down over a lake, unable to even see her reflection through the muddy water.
She let out a yell of frustration as they all flew back up into the sky. “No. No? No! That’s it! We’ve been at it for hours now! It’s a sign? A sign. It’s a sign!” She declared with a maniacal laugh, her navy, stringed mane springing more stray strands as her pinkish eyes twitched, her magenta irises dilating to show her craze. She gave a nod of affirmation to herself as she turned around to face the changelings following her, “It’s official! We can’t find the perfect place for my daughter, Violacea, to peacefully rest at during her time in stasis. Which means we should go back to the hive, take her out so I can spend more time with her, and we can happily live together for the rest of our immortal lives. Yes? Yes. Yes! Back to the hive!” She declared, propelling herself forward in the completely opposite way the swarm was flying with her four, long and translucent black wings.
She didn’t make it any further than the back of the swarm when a few of the changelings, already hovering in wait for her, quickly grabbed hold of her and gently pulled her back toward the front of the group.
“What are you doing you imbeciles? Why aren’t you all turning around to go back to the hive?” She barked despite already knowing the answer. “Get your hooves off of me this instant! I am your Queen! I order you all to turn around and carry my daughter back to the hive before I disconnect you all from the h-” A hiccup.
“Disconnect you from the-” This time a sniffle just as she reached the front of the group, the changelings pulling her there excusing themselves to go to the back once again.
The changelings all glanced at each other worriedly, already knowing what would come as this was the seventh time she would go through this.
The Queen wailed, “I’m so sorry!” She cried, turning to reach toward an already resigned changeling, pulling him in close to clench in her hooves tightly. “I-If I could! I wouldn’t rip you all from the hivemind! N-None of you deserve isolation! Even for a d-day!”
The changeling squeaked, “Y-Your majesty… Please.” He tried to gasp out with little breath, his wings buzzing around wildly in an attempt to pull out of her tight embrace.
Instead, Queen Argia merely tightened her hold on him as her wailing turned into sniffles, “Unfortunately, I have no choice in the matter.” She woefully said as there was a collective groan and a few irate buzzes created by a quick vibration of wings.
During her stress as the group traveled in search for a peaceful and safe place for her daughter, Violacea to rest during her cocooned stasis, Queen Argia seemed to have taken to talking to the group of changelings -as she usually did in any other times of stress- however, this time she seemed to have not noticed how she had been repeating the same words that by now, they each had committed it to memory.
“As a species, us changelings are slowly declining… What used to be seven hives has now been reduced to three.” She began with a sniffle, not noticing how the changelings behind her were mouthing the same words as she did.
Or perhaps she did know, but was far too gone to be offended.
“S-So as a Queen, I have a responsibility to help my daughter, a new Queen, to build a hive of her own. For us, as a species. S-So if that means I must,” her voice grew shaky as more tears fell. “If I must put her into stasis, despite only having two years worth of time with her, to prevent her from attempting to integrate herself into the hivemind and causing confusion amongst you from having two authority figures…. And disconnecting a quarter of the hive and putting them into stasis to give and be ready for her when she wakes. Th-Then I-I...”
“I willllllll!!!!!!!!” She wailed loudly once more, seemingly having forgotten that all these changelings had willingly volunteered to migrate to her daughter’s hive and put to sleep until Violacea built a connection with them.
The changeling in her arms briefly thought that disconnecting from the hivemind was the least of his problems, worrying more about his head disconnecting from his body instead.
To his relief, the Queen shoved him away with a light gasp, causing him to somersault backwards in the air before shaking his head and flying back into position as she threw herself toward the cocoon that was now shuffling about and lightly glowing with raspberry magic, making it difficult to keep hold of for the changelings.
“Oh my dearest daughter! My Violacea! Shhhh Shh Shhhh.” Queen Argia cooed, hovering over the cocoon and peering into the small window that granted her a view of her daughter’s scrunched up face.
The nymph encased inside seemed to struggle about for a few seconds, though quickly relaxed upon hearing her mother’s voice. Slowly, Violacea’s eyes attempted to flutter open, revealing lilac colored eyes with purple irises, and a small smile curled across her face showing two, baby fangs upon seeing Argia.
Her own smile stretched across Argia’s face, though albeit tearful as she placed a chitin holed hoof over the cocoon, rubbing it lovingly. “I’m sorry I can not spend more time with you my daughter.” She whispered, “But after you connected to one of my - yours now, I suppose - subject, I had no other choice but to encase you…” She said, choking once more.
“Please do not fret though,” Argia assured, “I promise you that by the time you wake, I will have changelings ready for you to start your own hive. You’ll have workers of each class; from laborers to advocates, from artists to researchers… You’ll have enough of each faction. I’ll have everything ready for you when you.” She began choking, “For when you come back.”
Violacea smiled wider, as though understanding her mother’s words before her eyes fluttered close once more, returning to slumber and causing the magical glow to slowly diminish as sparkling dust into the night sky. The moon seemed to shine brighter at that moment, as if answering the disappearance of the magic.
Queen Argia allowed another sniffle and lowered herself to press a kiss on the window of where her daughter’s forehead would be.
Raising her head, a light shimmering from below caught her attention. Diving a little under the swarm, she slightly gasped at the sight of a beautiful, undisturbed lake… isolated at the side of a grassy mountain.
Understanding her intention, the small group of changelings quickly spread out from one another, leaving just a few to carry the cocoon and follow Queen Argia around as she and the rest scouted to examine the area.
There was no path anywhere close to the lake, confirming its isolation from any other higher species. A quick dipped hoof in the water and magical prognosis showed its’ cleanliness and high nutrients in the ecosystem, mandatory for her specific hive’s -and her daughter’s by default- survival as they relied heavily on being more than well hydrated to survive. (Quite unlike the other remaining hives where one, the Chrysothemis Changelings, thrived in the desert while the other, the Lampyridae Changelings, preferred cooler areas such as forests, both going into hiding in such locations) . The tall grass and large rocks surrounding the shore would allow for fantastic camouflage. The height and geographical location assured the mother that she would not have to worry about her daughter being frozen to death when winter would arrive.
“It’s perfect…” She said with a smile… and a pang in her chest.
With a location that met her requirements… She had no choice but to prepare for her long, but temporary departure with her daughter.
The swarm buzzed around the lake, finding a place to lower the cocoon, and upon seeing a small lonely area close to the lake’s mouth that led to a small stream, obstructed by tall rocks declining into the water and tall grass, she nodded to her changelings.
Slowly and carefully, they deposited Violacea into the water as Argia supervised from the shore, her four long wings resting on her back and sides as though acting like a cloak. She continued watching with little to no words as her daughter was placed in such a way that blended in against the rocks, until only just a small fraction of the window was peeking out. In time, Argia had no doubt that the cocoon would be covered in moss.
Reclining her head, her crooked horn glowed with her hive’s signature teal magic, casting a quick spell onto her daughter that would alert Argia when Violacea woke.
“There…” She said, “Now when you wake, I’ll know. I’ll come flying as fast as I can to get you, all you have to do is stay put.” She paused, a small chuckle escaping from her in the form of chirps.
That should not pose as a problem, as nymphs typically preferred staying in water for as long as possible until they were encouraged out.
Oh, she couldn’t wait until her daughter woke. There was so much to do, so many milestones to be a part in. History to be made with the birth of a new hive…
No longer would Argia have to feel so alone now that she had a daughter to live with.
Hopefully it would be a feeling that her daughter never had to live with.
Another tear fell, prompting a changeling to worryingly tug at his soon would be ex-Queen.
Wiping her tears away, she waved him off. “I’ll be okay… What’s another century or so of waiting?” She asked, mostly to herself.
The changeling pulled back to allow his queen a moment to calm herself.
When she felt ready, she looked up to the couple dozen changelings and gave them a sad smile.
It was time to start the long flight back to the hive.
… A flight that would end up being too long ninety-one years later on another beautiful, and peaceful night such as this, when another royal member - the Princess of Equestria and keeper of the Sun - would find herself staring into curious purple eyes that were peeking out of the water.