“Look I'm sorry, but he doesn't want to see anyone,” Jacky informed for what had to be the tenth time that day. For the last two days, various drones had come by, trying to get a look at the supposed new queen.
Taylor had hunkered down in his room, where he was currently wallowing, trying to adjust to his new situation.
“But the birth of a queen is a once in a lifetime event,” the drone insisted. “She could become the leader of our hive.”
“Yeah that's great and all bu-” Jacky paused, listening to Taylor through the hive mind. “Alright, go get some food and you can see him.” The drone nodded and his wings buzzed as he flew away.
She closed the door, letting out an annoyed sigh. Jacky made her way upstairs, trotting into Taylor’s room. He was lounging on his bed, discarded food wrappers laying around him.
“Seems like you're falling into your bad habit again,” she pointed out, quickly gathering up the trash and tossing it into a small trashcan by the door.
“I can't help it.” He gave a pitiful whine. Taylor had spent his time lounging on his bed, refusing to leave his home. “I'm starving!”
“It’s fine, you’re under a ton of stress.” She got onto the bed next to him and kissed his cheek. She let out a squeak as Taylor pulled her into a hug, nuzzling her head.
“I've already finished everything we have in the house.” Taylor glanced at the trash can. A deep, ravenous hunger had taken root in his gut, and no matter what he crammed into his mouth, it wouldn’t go away.
“Maybe queens need a lot of calories?” Jacky wriggled her way out of Taylor’s grasp, smoothing her wings.
“Ugh...” Taylor splayed out on the bed, giving her a good view of his underbelly and naughty bits. “This sucks!”
“Well, it could be worse,” she said, making a point of looking at his face. “At least you’re not craving anything weird to eat.”
“Jacky.” He turned his head, a pout etched onto his muzzle. “ I ate every bit of food in the house. Even the condiments! I literally uncapped the mustard and drank it like soda.”
“I think I should ask about this over the hivemind,” Jacky said with a frown. She closed her eyes and went silent for a couple minutes. When she opened them again, her face scrunched up in confusion. “Well, wasn’t expecting that.”
“What?” he asked, lifting his head up.
“Apparently, changelings only eat regular food to make more of that goo stuff,” she started, “we actually feed off of, and you’re not gonna believe this, love.” Her wings buzzed slightly as she laughed.
“Love?” He stared at her. “You're serious aren't you?”
“Yeah, I am.” Jacky moved to sit next to him. “And considering I’m in here with you, getting love shouldn’t be all that hard.” She smiled at him and snuggled up to his side.
“That would work if I knew how to eat love,” he pointed out.
“Lucky for you, I thought to ask how to do that,” she told him with a grin. “What you have to do is concentrate on your horn and reach out to the source of love, Eventually, you’ll be able to do it subconsciously. I also learned a second way to do it, but it’s not as pleasant.”
“...let's not do the second one.” He closed his eyes, trying to get his horn to work. It took a few minutes, but he felt something for a brief moment and his horn flickered. “I-I think I got it.” He concentrated on that feeling, and his horn light up with an aquamarine colored glow.
“Good job!” Jacky beamed, wrapping her hooves around him and nuzzling his chest. “So, how does love taste?”
“Hm... Tastes like...” He licked his lips. “Pineapples.”
“Let me try on you now,” she said with a grin, closing her eyes. He shivered, watching as her horn lit up, feeling a tingle run through him. After a few moments she stopped and licked her lips. “Huh, I don’t taste pineapples. You taste more like… strawberries and cream.”
“Weird.” He blinked, rubbing his head. “Well, I don't feel as hungry anymore.”
“That’s good, and now we know how to eat,” she said. “If you’re still hungry, you can keep eating, I don’t mind.”
“You sure?” He asked, putting an arm around her. “I don't wanna bleed you dry.”
“I feel fine,” she assured him. “I’ll tell you if it starts feeling like it hurts or something.” He nodded, taking in a bit more.
“How about... We go out?” he asked, looking towards a window.
“Are you sure sure you wouldn’t rather stay here and wallow in your anxiety a bit more?” she teased, booping his nose with a hoof.
“Keep that up, Jacky, and I'm putting you in another cocoon.” He got off the bed, stretching out and sighing in content as his joints popped.
“Ooh, sounds kinky~” she said, hopping off the bed and giving him a look. “My safeword is red.”
He gave her a flat look, flicking his tail across her muzzle. Turning to the door, starting to make his way out. She trotted after him, quickly making her way to his side. Taylor had to keep his eyes facing forward, not wanting to think about all the eyes on him.
“Okay... This is worse than I thought...” he muttered, his wings buzzing in agitation.
“Nothing’s gonna happen,” she assured him, petting his back. “They’re just curious about you.”
“Yeah? What if that other queen shows up?” he asked, pouting at her. He didn’t know a lot about the Queen, and he really didn’t want to. Anyone willing to conquer one set of people just to use them to conquer someone else, wasn’t a person he wanted to meet.
“I’ve heard through the hivemind that she’s busy with other parts of the invasion,” Jacky told him. “Hell, she still hasn’t gotten back to us. It’s one of the reasons why the other drones are excited to see you.”
“That doesn't make me feel better.” He stopped in front of an electronics shop, looking at his reflection. He frowned at the sight, seeing nothing of the old him left in his new appearance. It was surreal, seeing a body so foreign and yet knowing that it belonged to him.
“I think you look the best out of all of us,” Jacky said, looking at her own reflection. “At least you have hair… and pupils.”
“Thanks.” He put a hoof on her back. “I think... I have to own this.”
“It’s the only healthy way to deal with it,” Jacky said. “It gets easier, I promise. And hey, the magic thing is kinda cool.” She picked up a pebble in a green glow to demonstrate.
“I'm being serious here, I mean that other queen is trying to invade, do this to other people.” He gazed down at her. “I'm not gonna let her do that.” Jacky didn’t say anything for a while, a worried look on her face. Eventually she nodded.
“Okay, I’m with you on this.” Jacky pressed herself against him. “But you’re gonna have to learn all about magic and being a queen.” She put a hoof on his side, giving him a smile. “Can’t have you being a shut in anymore.”
“Yeah I know.” He gave her his best smile, taking comfort in her presence. “Besides, I think I'd be a good leader. And even I’d go crazy just sitting in my house watching things on Netflix all day.”
“You’ve got my support no matter what,” she told him. “We can figure this all out together.”
“I love you.” He pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the ground. She giggled and returned the hug.
“I love you too. Plus, it’s not everyday you get a chance to save the world. I’d be an idiot to pass that up.”
He set her down, clearing his throat. “Okay so... What do we do first?”
“Well first we should get one of the original drones that supports you to teach us all about changelings and magic,” she started. “After that we should organize the town and find out where the replacer changelings are going.”
“Mind sending out a call?” He asked, giving her a smile.
“As my queen wishes,” she joked, returning the smile and closing her eyes. He rolled his eyes, staying close to her. After a few minutes, they heard a loud buzzing sound and found themselves surrounded by a town’s worth of drones.
“Oh crap.” He stared with wide eyes, not exactly sure what to do.
“Go on, tell them what you want to do,” Jacky whispered to him. “And put some backbone into it.”
“I meant get a drone here, not the entire town!” he whispered back, focusing on her.
“Oh, uh, really should’ve figured that out,” she said, her ears flattening to her head. “Hold on, I’ll fix this.” She closed her eyes again. A hoof on her back stopped her.
“No, I'll make do.” He gave her a weak smile. Turning to the crowd. “Well, hello everyone, we haven't had a town meeting this big since Ole Stanley drove his truck into the power station.”
“Oh that again,” a gruff voice from the crowd called out. “How many times do I have to say that there was a jackalope that got in my way?!”
“Jackalopes don't exist man,” Taylor shot back. “But, let's uh, stay on topic. So... We all got turned into bug horses. We’re all gonna have to live with that.”
“Oh so bug horses are real but a jackalope is jus- Ow!” Stanley grunted.
“Let it go ya coot!” a feminine voice snapped. “She’s tryin’ t’make a point.”
Taylor wasn't pleased to be referred to as a 'she’, but put the annoyance aside. “I don’t exactly know how many of us were converted or natural, but at this point, it doesn’t matter. How long has it been since any of you heard back from that queen?”
“It has been over a month since we have heard from her,” one drone spoke up. “We haven’t even been able to find her whispers among the hivemind.”
Taylor nodded. “So, basically, she just up and abandoned you all?” Taylor looked out amongst the crowd, noting the many unsure looks. “Which means you guys need new leadership.”
“Yes!” a drone cheered. “The new queen wishes to overthrow the old one! Our hive will be strong under a new leader!”
“I ain’t overthrowing nothing,” Taylor emphasized his point, stomping a hoof. “All I know is, I don’t want to be in any sort of war, and I don’t think anyone else here does either.”
“I think we all can agree to that,” another drone said. “But we hardly know the first thing about our new bodies. How do you propose we rebel against a queen with years of experience and an instinctive knowledge of hers?”
“I have no idea,” Taylor admitted, rubbing his neck. “Thing is, no one’s talked to her in a month. She might not be coming back.”
“So you think she ran into some trouble and cut us loose while trying to save her nonexistent skin?” one of the converted townspeople chimed in, frowning.
“Look, I don’t know, okay?” Taylor asked, buzzing his wings in irritation. “None of us want to work with her, and things are going to get real bad if we don’t get off our asses and do something.” Gazing around, Taylor pieced the bare outline of a plan together. “Which means we have a few options.”
“Like what?” Someone shouted from the crowd.
“First off,” Taylor started, starting to pace around. “We could go back to wherever changelings are from. Though, if we do that, we run the risk of getting caught up in that war the queen was brewing up.”
“Shouldn’t we make sure that no one else gets turned into changelings?” another one of the townspeople chimed in. “I mean, it would also give us more numbers if we do run into the queen.”
“That is a good point, but, I wasn’t done.” Taylor cleared his throat. “Our second option is to abandon the town and go set up shop in some out of the way place. Like Wyoming. I sincerely hope we don’t go with that option. I don’t know jack about survival. Plus, if we did that, we’d be abandoning people to potentially lose their bodies the way we’ve lost ours. That seems pretty cowardly in my book.”
The townsfolk all seemed to agree, muttering amongst themselves.
“So,” Taylor resumed, coming to a stop. Here it was, his big plan to save their asses. “I think we should just stay here.” He allowed a few moments to pass for it to sink in. “Changelings shapeshift right? We just shapeshift back into our old selves and try to live as normally as possible.”
“Wait, but didn’t you just call that sort of thing cowardly?” Someone called out from the back.
“Oi.” Taylor snorted. “Will you let me finish?” Taylor huffed. “I said, just up and leaving would be cowardly, and it would be admitting that we’re giving up on our old lives.” He stomped his hooves, the sound echoing through town. “I’m not going to let becoming a bug change me. Are you?”
“But what about everyone else out there?” Old man Stanley asked. “We just gonna keep living here and let them get bugged?”
“No, no we’re not.” Taylor straightened up, puffing his chest out. “I’m a queen right? And the old one left, which makes me the head honcho.” Taylor didn’t give anyone time to argue. “I want all the original drones to stand on my left.”
There was a buzzing from the crowd as a number of drones moved to his left.
“Okay, good.” Taylor walked around them. “Now, as a first order of business, I want half of you to go tell the other groups about the change in leadership, get them to stop converting people and get their asses back here.”
“I will lead the effort in getting the word out,” a drone with a scar-like crack in his exoskeleton on the side of his face spoke up.
“And you are?”
“I am a soldier drone,” the drone replied.
Taylor gave him a flat look. “I meant a name.”
“Natural born drones don’t have names,” the soldier explained.
“Alright then, I’m naming you Fury,” Taylor informed. “Got that everyone?” Taylor asked, looking between the collected drones. “Fury is in charge.”
“Thank you, my queen,” Fury said, bowing his head. “I will do my best to meet your expectations.” Taylor smiled as he could see Fury trying to hold back his own smile from his new name.
“Alright, get going,” Taylor ordered. Perhaps it was because of his new role, but Taylor had never felt so in charge before. It felt... right. He started hoping that he didn’t go on a power trip or something. “Okay, the other half of the original drones are going to help us townspeople learn how to use magic and how to shapeshift.”
“I know I will be more than happy to teach you and the town how to accommodate yourselves to your new forms,” a drone stated firmly. “The old queen’s cruelty must come to an end.”
“See? We can do this,” Taylor insisted.
“I think we’re willing to try,” yet another drone said. “If not for our sake then for anyone who still isn’t a bug.”
“Then it’s settled.” Taylor spread his wings for dramatic effect. “We’ll make that bitch regret converting our town!” The town erupted in cheers and Jacky grinned up at him, giving him a tight hug. He grinned, hugging her back. “See? Natural talent.”
“Not bad for a guy that nearly passed out leaving his house,” she whispered in his ear, smirking at him.
He stood back up, waiting for the cheering to end. “First, I need whoever knows the most about queens to come with me.”
One of the drones from earlier came forward.“I am the eldest of the changelings that occupied this town, I can tell you what it is you wish to know.”
“Thanks.” Taylor nodded. “For now, everyone just go back home and I dunno relax for the day. We can start sorting this out tomorrow.” The crowd nodded and dispersed, leaving the three of them alone. “Alright, back to the house.” He turned, trotting away. Jacky and the other drone nodded, following after him into his house. Jacky and Taylor sat on the couch, while the drone took a seat on the floor.
“Dude, there's a chair, just sit in it.” Taylor pointed at it.
“I apologize, I merely didn’t want to impose.” The drone bowed their head and fluttered over to the chair. “You can ask me anything you like about queens.”
“Okay. Why me?”
“That I cannot tell you,” the drone said with a hard look. “Even we are still baffled by this development.”
“Right. Act of God.” He nodded. “What does a queen actually do?”
“A queen is the one that can produce the most eggs, typically she’s the only one that can produce new queens,” the drone explained. “She also leads the hive and disperses the love energy among it.”
“And how does egg making...happen?” He asked carefully.
“The egg making happens on its own, but fertilization requires sexual intercourse with a male. It doesn’t matter which species, ponies, griffons, minotaurs, changelings, etc. All are viable candidates to create fertile offspring,” the drone explained.
Taylor gulped, looking at his lower half. “And there's a breeding season?”
“Yes, it comes in spring like many creatures. A viable queen will start to emit a special pheromone that helps her attract whichever kind of male she wishes to copulate with. After that they will seclude themselves in their chambers and lay the eggs in a special nursery.”
'Oh god, spring is in a few months,’ Taylor groaned, feeling a shudder pass through him.
“Though considering the size of the swarm at the moment, you will most likely not have to engage in breeding season unless you want to,” the drone added. “Though that may change if we lose a significant number of drones in our endeavors.”
“You mean, if people die,” Taylor clarified. “Let's try not to let that happen okay?” A thought came to Taylor and he addressed the drone again. “So, changelings make hives, like bees?”
The fin on the drone’s head ruffled for a moment and seemed to be holding back a scoff. “Something like that, but if I were to compare us to some common insect when it comes to the structure of our hive, it would be ants. Though, unlike ants, our hive’s tunnels shift on a regular basis. Just in case some outsider is foolish enough to attempt to infiltrate it.”
Taylor exchanged a look with Jacky. “You do know we can’t make one of those here, right? People would be able to see it and then the military would be all over us.”
“Did you forget?” Jacky asked, tilting her head at him. “There’s already a hive under the city. I was sure I told you about it.”
Taylor tilted his head. “You did? When?”
“It was before we began converting the people of the town,” the drone explained. “We found a secluded place outside of the town limits and began construction of tunnels. It is nothing compared to a proper hive, but it provides enough room for all us drones and there is a nursery for any eggs that may be laid.”
Taylor rubbed his head, grumbling to himself. So, they had a hive. At least, that gave them somewhere to hide if they were found out. “And I wasn’t told sooner because?”
“My apologies, my queen, I was under the impression you were already informed about the hive under the town. This won’t happen again,” the drone assured with a bow of his head.
“It’s fine,” Taylor waved off quickly. “I’m still learning the ropes here.” Taylor softened, patting his head. “Hey, relax. You don’t have to bow. I’m not that kinda queen.”
“Forgive me if I lapse into that behavior,” the drone said, straightening up in his seat. “I’m used to dealing with that kind of queen.”
“That reminds me.” Taylor leaned his head back, scanning the drone closely. “You need a name.”
“I hope you don’t run out of names if you plan on giving all your drones one,” the drone replied, looking pleased by the prospect of being named.
“Pfft.” Taylor waved his concern away. “You have any idea how many languages there are on Earth? It’ll be fine.”
“Very well then, what do you wish to name me?”
Taylor tapped his chin, letting out a soft hum. “I think I’ll go with... Battra.” Taylor grinned, patting the drone’s head. “From now on, you are Battra.”
Battra repeated his name, getting a feel for it. The fin on his head rose and lowered slightly and a smile slowly grew on his face. “I think that I will like this name. Thank you, my queen.”
“Eh, don’t worry about it.” Taylor got up, stretching his limbs out. Now, how’s about that magic lesson?”