//------------------------------// // 06: The Emerald Hive // Story: Among Hives // by Nova_Wings //------------------------------// The term ‘Emerald Hive’ did not do the hive justice in Rarity’s opinion, the double doors opened up onto a large circular platform that looked out upon a massive underground lake. In the center of the lake was a city easily the size of if not bigger than Canterlot, dozens of tall carved building made up the hive, all of the buildings were made out of a dark green material that seemed to sparkle, above the city sat a large glowing crystal held in place by what appeared to be the central most building and another tower hanging from the ceiling. The city itself was surrounded by low lying well-maintained parks and gardens that were built right up to the water's edge. Nopony said a word for a long moment, finally, the silence was broken by Glimmer. “Ya, that's about the same reaction all ponies have seeing the hive for the first time.” Rarity sputtered waving a hoof at the hive. “That is not what you think of when you say ‘hive’, grand city or capital would be better.” Glimmer shrugged. “To be fair it is the capital of the Emerald civilization, so I guess that counts. Come on it's a lot cooler up close.” Glimmer started walking towards the edge of the platform, it looked like she was about to walk off the edge, until she and the fillies on her back vanished in a flash of changeling magic. Twilight rushed over to the spot, examining the ground closely, there was a magic circle carved into the floor. The circle was receiving a constant charge from somewhere, allowing the portal it created to remain ready at all times. Twilight walked into the circle, she felt magic wash over her, and she found herself at the edge of the hive. Twilight gawked as she stared up, and up, and up. The massive towers didn’t seem to stop as if they reached into the sky above,wait sky? Twilight glanced around, indeed the entire hive seemed to be outside, as if it was any other city in Equestria. Twilight was about to demand somepony explain, when she got knocked over by another pony from behind. A few tumbles and flailing of hooves latter Twilight found herself tangled up with both Applejack and Rarity, as the three untangled themselves, they heard two ponies and a changeling laughing loudly. “Very funny you three.” Twilight glared. “Sorry,” Glimmer said. “But when I saw how shocked you were, and knowing everyone else was coming through I couldn’t help it, speaking of you might want to move.” The tree ponies moved just in time to avoid tripping Luna as she came through, Fluttershy was on her right and Pinkie bounced through on her left. Rainbow wasn't anywhere to be seen until she came flying in over the lake. Once all of the ponies got their bearings, had enough time to recover from their shock of seeing the hive for the first time, Glimmer led them farther into the hive. The entrance pad was in a low lying area, meaning if any uninvited guests did happen to make it this far, they were still on the low ground. The hive was laid out in a circular pattern, with the roads fanning out like spokes in a wheel with curved paths connecting them. Buildings were connected by enclosed bridges at various levels, they could see ponies and changelings walking through them going about their business. Some buildings had large rounded platforms connecting three or more of them, each platform had arching supports helping to hold them up, Twilight wondered if they had borrowed such designs from the construction of Canterlot, or if they even came up with them before she could ask Applejack voiced a different question. “What in the hay are those things?” Glimmer looked up to where Applejack was pointing to on of the platforms. “Those are parks, the ones on the outer edge are smaller and usually have grass and fountains. The ones closer to the center are bigger and have all kinds of trees on them and such, and before any of you panic there are safety spells and railings on all of them, the only way off are the exits or to fly.” Rainbow shot up to one of the platforms, waved to someone on the platform before returning to the group. “Yep, they look like the parks in Ponyville or Canterlot, just a bit smaller. And they have pony high walls all around them.” “Well, that is truly a relief.” Rarity said with a sigh. “Ya, we take safety pretty seriously here, come on let me show you around.” “Hold on,” Twilight cut in. “How is there a sky underground?” Glimmer snickered. “Really? You of all ponies are asking me how we have an illusionary sky underground?” Twilight huffed as she walked past Glimmer, the changeling princess shook her head before leading the group again. They walked towards the center of the hive, Glimmer pointed out various points of interest, needless to say, the group lost Rarity when they walked past the shopping district about mid way through the hive. When they got to the second to last ring of the hive is when the group really began to split up. “Down there two roads over is the archive, it's mostly underground as to allow it to keep expanding.” “Expanding?” Twilight said with a twinkle in her eyes. “Yes, right now I want to say the archive is twelve levels deep with six chambers, we started digging out a seventh last month, but it probably won't… be…” Glimmer trailed off noticing that Twilight was already gone. “Ya figures that egg head would vanish the second you said library.” Snickered Rainbow Dash. Glimmer got a mischievous smirk on her face. “Well the race way is on the other side of the hive, we were going to get to it latter, buuuut if you want to fly ahead like Twilight did…” Glimmer gave Rainbow a knowing look, the pegasus fidgeted for a second, struggling to ‘play it cool’ or be just like an egg head. Race won out and Rainbow rushed off to find the raceway. Glimmer giggled, seeing her idol fly off like a filly who was just told there were hearth warming presents to be had. “Y'all are frighteningly good at this whole gettn’ ponies to do what ya’ want.” Applejack said eyeing Glimmer. Glimmer just shook her head. “Naw it's just Rainbow, she has such easy buttons to push.” Before either of them could say anything else, a rather bulky changeling stomped up to Applejack. “If your going to try and hide from work, looking like one of the best farm ponies in Equestria isn’t the most subtle way to do it.” Applejack frowned at the large changeling, while she might have been flattered by the complement his tone and attitude was a different story. “Ah don’t rightly know what yer’ on about, but ah ‘am the real Applejack.” “Sure you are, and the east farms are just magically fixed.” the changeling said with an eye roll. “Um Barley, that really is Applejack,” Glimmer spoke up. “She and the others are visiting the hive.” Barely looked at Glimmer, seemingly noticing her or any of the others for the first time, then looked back at Applejack. “Uhhhh, well this is rather embarrassing. I thought you were one of the changelings on farming duty trying to play hooky, I’m terribly sorry.” Applejack waved him off. “Its fine, but what was all that about the east fields?” “Ah, you see the irrigation system has been down since last night, were not going to lose our crops just yet, but I rather have them being tended while the system is fixed regardless.” Applejack rubbed her chin looking thoughtful. “Ah’m not much for all this fancy city stuff, and it sounds like you could use some extra hooves, mind if ah help out?” Barley grinned. “Certainly!” He said as the two started off. “We have a few farmers here but getting somepony with farming talent and skill is rather rare.” Glimmer just shook her head as the two walked off, their group was down to Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Luna. Might as well now. Glimmer thought “Well everyone else is heading off, want me to show you guys places you might want to hang around for a while?” Pinkie pounced excitedly nodding her head, Fluttershy just mumbled while Luna shrugged. “Hey your not trying to get rid of us!” Sweetie Belle glared. “Actually I was thinking we could explore my place for awhile,” She said gesturing towards the central tower. “And I have a few ideas of where the others might like to see.” “Ya live in that big old thing?” Applebloom said staring up at the tower. “Well not just me, mom and a lot of other ponies and changelings, but there are a few floors that do belong to me and mom.” “Let's go!” Sweetie all but bounced from her place on Glimmers back. The now smaller group made there way past the last few streets, once they passed the last ring of buildings the hive opened up into a large plaza that surrounded the entire central tower. The area was laid out in large grassy areas, divided by decorative walkways that made patterns of their own. The building facing the plaza were all eateries of some sort, serving all kinds of wonderful smelling foods, ponies and changelings alike sat here and there in the plaza or at tables near each building eating happily. No one saw Pinkie disappear, or where she went, but they all knew she was about to make the plaza just a little more lively. “Well I was going to see if she wanted to meet our pastry chef, he is considered the best baker in the hive, but I guess she had other ideas.” “We are sure she will find him in due time, perhaps it would be best to warn him first,” Luna said with a wink to Glimmer. “Ya, that might be a good… wait a second.” Glimmer turned around, staring right at Luna. “What happened to the old Equestrian accent?” Luna shuffled her hooves nervously for a second. “We admit we were holding onto most of our old way out of choice, We have been back for little more than a year, much of this new world is strange to us.” Glimmer rubbed her chin, an idea seemed to form in her mind. “Let's go, I have something you will like to see.” Glimmer led them into the central tower, the ground floor had evenly spaced openings with guardian golems on either side, ponies and changelings came and went going about their business. The group made their way up two levels, passing what seemed to be simple business offices. On the third floor Glimmer opened a large door, the inside was a cavernous domed room, the walls and ceilings were painted to look like the night sky with careful detail. Luna's eyes flicked from one group of stars to another, she recognized them all, each one was right were she had placed it the first time she had brought in the night. She was so lost in admiring the work that had been put into capturing her night, she didn’t even notice the others in the room, or the fact they were staring at her. Luna looked at a constellation near the edge of the painting, when she noticed there were items in the room as well. They were spread around the room evenly, each on a pedestal or platform of some kind, Luna walked over to one of the item examining it closer. When she fully saw what it was she let out a small gasp. “W-Where did you find this?” On the pedestal was a simple telescope, it was only about a foreleg in length and was slightly less powerful than modern binoculars, but it was the first telescope Luna had ever made. Glimmer stepped up next to Luna, her friends still on her back as they gazed in wonder at the telescope. “Mom found it after that day, she wanted to give it to Celestia as something to hold on to, but after she left the castle here, she felt it would be better to hold onto it instead of reminding Celestia what had just happened.” Luna nodded, silently agreeing with Glimmer. She stared at the artifact from her past, something so personal that seemed to be held in a place of reverence, only when she heard another voice did she look away. “You really made that?” Luna looked to her side, expecting one of the crusaders to have said that, instead she found a young changeling looking up at her with wide adoring eyes, “Y-Yes little one, I made that a very long time ago.” “And you set all the stars just like they are here?” Luna looked up as if looking into the real night sky “Yes, they changed over the years but this was my first night.” Luna looked back, finding not one but a dozen faces looking up at her with eager expressions. They all began to ask her questions, but they didn’t shout or rise their voices as if they didn’t wish to disturb the peace of the artificial night around them. An older pony walked up and quietly hushed the babbling group. “Sorry princess, they can get a little excited sometimes.” “It's alright, I’d be happy to answer anything they like.” At those words, Luna found herself at the center of a group of changelings and ponies all either wanting to ask her something or just wanting to see the alicorn of the night up close. Quietly Glimmer led her friends and Fluttershy back out of the room, leaving Luna in her own little world. “I don’t think Luna has ever had a group just wanting to talk with her about her night before, I hope it does her some good.” Glimmer whispered as they left the room. “She seems so lonely all the time, I’m glad so many here seem interested in her work.” Fluttershy said quietly. “Ya, it's no fun not having any friends to talk to.” Sweetie piped up. The others nodded in agreement. Glimmer led them back down the tower and past the main floor, they descended two floors before coming to their destination. Here in a well-guarded area of the hive was the changeling hatchery, one side held pods and eggs in various stages, the other was a large open area filled with changeling nymphs. Fluttershy squeezed at seeing so many adorable little creatures all around, Glimmer let her in with a burst of her magic on the transparent barrier that acted as a door. Fluttershy made it a few steps before getting swarmed by nymphs, they latched onto her and the love she radiated. Fluttershy rested on her belly allowing as many nymphs as possible to snuggle up to her, she spoke to them in her quiet voice as they crowded around her. “Wow, she really has a way with little ones don’t she?” Applebloom remarked. “I knew she would like visiting here, remember our sleep over at her house?” “You mean before or after the cockatrice?” Sweetie deadpanned. “Point taken.” Glimmer shook her head. She looked back at her friends with a smirk. “So wanna go have some fun?” The bright grins on her friend's faces told Glimmer all she needed to know, somewhere in the hive a changeling cleaning crew cringed.