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// Hiveschooling 
// Story: Changelings of Harmony 
// by Prismfire Productions 
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Ponyville was a busy town nowadays. 

With Fluttershy now serving as the Head Queen, great strides had been made in teaching ponies more about changelings, as well as increase the relations between species. Shops had been set up where everypony could buy furniture made from shedded chitin, while trader drones buzzed around helping ponies with their tasks in exchange for positive emotions.

A whole expansion to the newly-built library was dedicated solely to changelings and their history, which included precious artifacts passed down over the generations and originated from the First Mother herself. The Ponyville schoolhouse had been expanded to accommodate the increased attendance, which gave the Cutie Mark Crusaders the perfect cover to keep from revealing they were now drones. 

"Oh come on..." Scootaloo grumbled as she waited for the lunch bell to ring. "It is too nice of a day to be inside."

"Relax Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said putting a hoof on her friend, and hivesister's, wither. "The bell will ring any minute now and we can all go play. It is just the first day of school, so we got 179 more to go before we return home."

Apple Bloom joined in, but over the hivemind. ">Ah still think it is stupid we have to be disguised, wit' Queen Fluttershy makin' ponies more friendly towards lings<."

Fluttershy herself answered. >"That maybe the case Apple Bloom, but I rather be safe than sorry. Considering how much trouble you three have out of Diamond Tiara, this is actually a tactical bait trap. Her parents are leading a campaign to try and have the princesses keep Canterlot changeling free, all it will take is Diamond punching you or any of your hivemates then it will be set.”<

>"What about the threat of war you talked about? Shouldn't we be training instead of coming to school?"< Scootaloo whined over the mindscape, but instantly shut up when she felt Fluttershy's glare directed at her. However, she could tell it was not an angry glare, but one of disappointment. 

">No, you three are still young drones and not ready for the horrors of combat. Out of all of us, only Twilight has seen true battle, and she still carries the mental and emotional scars of what she saw in that alternate world with Sombra.  Your safety and sanity means everything to me and my co-queens, especially your sisters. I am sure none of us, myself included, would want to know their reaction to your request.  So, as much as you hate school Scootaloo, you need to put on your big mare bridle and deal with educational challenges first. After all, school is easier than combat, and I don't need my troops complaining about the training routine."<

Scootaloo lowered her head in resignation and shame. ">Understood...my queen..."<

Fluttershy sent a little love Scootaloo's way, making the drone perk up. >"Don't feel bad, and there is a more important reason I am having you, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, stay in town. I want you three to look after your younger siblings and keep them all safe...I am putting their very lives in your capable hooves, and I know deep down you will succeed. As far as Themis and her drones, I have my animal friends on round-the-clock lookout duty and none of her lot have showed themselves as of this time. I must be going, now you drones go and have a fun recess."<

Fluttershy went quiet in the hivemind as Scootaloo's freedom bell rang. She bolted out the door and set up a tug-of-war area, soon many of the classmates had joined in. Everything was fine until Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon wanted to "join in" on the fun.

"Ok listen up," Diamond Tiara's voice cut through the air like a thrown spearhead, silence the clamoring schoolfoals. "you blankflanks need to step aside and let true ponies show you how it is done." Diamond and Silver each grabbed an end and started pull back and forth. 25 minutes later Diamond pulled Silver into the mud. "As always, you are the Silver to me being gold and I always out class you, after all I am as flawless as diamonds."

Silver finally had enough. "You know what...I am starting to question why I am even friends with you..."

The silence was deafening, nopony nor ling knew how to process the statement that Silver Spoon had just said. The CMC, and most of the other schoolfoals, were scared of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. When you saw one you saw the other, and when one was sick the other made up the difference and then some. 

As the first two at the school to earn their cutie marks, Diamond felt like her and Silver were better than the peasants they were forced to go to school with. Diamond saw Silver as her best friend, one who shared her ideals and dreams of power and fame, but Silver would always be inferior to her due to not getting her cutie mark until after she did. She felt like she "owned the school", and Silver's betrayal deeply hurt her, but anger showed stronger. 

"Silver Spoon," Diamond said straining to keep her cool. "my most loyal and trusted underfoal, did you say what I thought you just did?  I must be hearing things, I swear you just said that you are questioning our friendship. So after all this time and all that I have done for you, this is how you repay me... with betrayal." 

"Look DT,  I like all that you have done for me, but I think it is time I put my hoof down." Everypony's jaws dropped as Silver got right in Diamond's face, making everyone back off a few feet. "As much as you don't like blank flanks, you seem to forget you were once one yourself. I thought you would have us leave the Cutie Mark Crusaders alone after they finally earned theirs, but you still want us to bully them day in and day out, and I have had it! You may think you are as flawless as diamond, but you are more impure than ferrous."

Diamond shoved Silver back, making poor filly tumble into Scootaloo. Due to it being late summer, torches had been set up to try and keep the bugs down, and the tumbling fillies hit the pole one of them was sitting on. The torch swiveled and spun before falling and landing on Scootaloo's back, the heat from it causing her disguise to drop. All the fillies and colts gasped as Diamond waved a hoof in the drone's direction.

"Somepony get the bug spray!" Diamond shrieked as she flew up into the tree, an impressive feat for an Earth Pony. "Mrs. Cheerilee!!!!!!!"

"Yes Diamond Tiara?" Cheerilee asked as she trotted over and observed the scene, Sweetie Belle already working on mending a tear on one of Scootaloo's wings. "and what the hay happened here?!?! If you hurt Scootaloo or any of the other drones you just made without a doubt the biggest mistake of your life."

"T-there's more?!" Diamond stuttered as she slid down out of the tree. A wave of green fire flared through the school yard, and Diamond wanted to turn and run but she knew better. "Bugs! Dirty, vile bugs! Ewewewewewew! I am so above you all, for you are lower than ponies. I refuse to allow this to continue, my mom and dad are going to make sure this infestation will not persist or spread. IT is Silver Spoon's fault Scootaloo got hurt anyway, she got muzzle to muzzle with me so I shoved her out of it. The fact she fell back into Scootaloo is out of my hooves."

"Well that was a shot to the barrel..." Sweetie Belle grumbled as she finished patching up her hivesister's wing. "However, you lashed out in anger after Silver Spoon said she was questioning her friendship to you. She has been spending a lot of time with me, Scoots, and Apple Bloom in the treehouse to study and just hang out."

"No wonder she betrayed me, you three probably stuffed her in a pod and brainwashed her!" Diamond yelled, she was about to strike Sweetie Belle but Cheerilee caught her hoof.

"Mrs. Tiara!" Cheerliee's authoritve tone rung like the midnight toll of a church bell, echoing and reverberating in between the classmates and making them shiver. All of them, Diamond included, had not heard their teacher use such sharpness in her tone before. "Considering how you have acted, I have no choice but to punish you. Not only will you have afterschool detention for the next month, I will be having Queen Fluttershy give you a punishment as well. Each drone is like a foal to a queen, and since she sees herself as the CMC's aunt..."

Diamond gulped as she was lead away. " This is not over you pests!"

All everyone could do was shake their heads as Diamond Tiara was drug away by her mane. When the teacher and grounded student had went back inside Silver Spoon came over to check on Scootaloo. "Sorry about that, will you be alright Scoots?"

"I will be..." Scootaloo said wincing as she tried to move her bandaged wing. "My sister will fully patch me up, but Sweetie did a great job of fixing me up until after school. Think you can still come over for that slumber party this weekend like we had talked about doing?"

"I will be there even if I have to sneak out the house." Silver giggled. "My parents are satisfied I actually made true friends, I know you will not look down on me or try and use me for your own personal gain. Besides, that sleeping pod Apple Bloom made for me is cozy, and after a day like today I am looking forward to a good nights rest."