//------------------------------//
// The Death of the Monarchy 
// Story: The Love Must Be Shared! 
// by Timemaster 
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Once, the hope of eternal peace had bloomed throughout the world. This peace was brought about by the alliance between the Grand Thoraxain Empire and The Princessdom of Equestria. King Thorax the kind king, the Beautiful One, the Savior, the Hero of the Badlands, and the Warrior-Bard of the Changelings crushed and converted most of the remaining hives across the world, leaving only small collectives in Gryphonia alone. Where there once was spies that fed off entire populations and caused great strife, there were now powerful traders who use their Empathetic abilities to make tidy profits. Where there was once internal strife and external fears, there was now harmony and friendship. Where there was once war, there was awkward peace agreements and slowly decaying suspicions. Life seemed perfect across the world.

However, as the generations went on, King Thorax worried that his people had slowly lost their ability to truly empathize. The Hivemind had already been slain, for good reason, the moment they had ascended from their malnourished and dreadful forms, but now the Changelings started to grow less connected to each other. Independent, yes, but far too many changelings felt isolated and scared. The sharing of emotions among an entire hive was a short lived tradition, because embarrassment and spite slowly broke the circles into smaller and smaller groups. Not to mention the fact many changelings chose to abandon the hive and integrate into life as a pony completely. Although this was technically illegal by both sides, many Changelings took their leave to search for more love and more friendship among that once most hated enemy. It was completely unknown how many changelings had independently escaped and blended into the land of ponies, but neither side's citizens seemed to care. Love was love, but not to Thorax and Celestia, who both feared what could happen if Changelings used their powers for evil once again. Especially so, since Thorax could not control them through a hive mind nor could their improved disguises be detected by even Princess Twilight's most advanced detection spells.

Numerous times has a political figure perished in Equestria, only to turn out to be a changeling. And most of the time the fact the politician was a changeling was swept under the rug and hidden. Strangely, most ponies did not react too badly to learn that their mayor or governor turned out to be a changeling. Perhaps their empathetic nature, weakened as it is, ensured they were always in their little pony's good graces, even after their death. No mental manipulation had ever been detected on the little ponies, nor were most changelings capable of such acts anymore.

Instead of addressing the numerous problems of his people, however, King Thorax had to address his own physical issues. His body was waning in strength, his chitin was dulling, and his hooves had small cracks that would not heal. Love from his friends Celestia and Luna did not cure him, nor did the Love from his lover, who has been kept secret to avoid controversy. His once glorious strength had become a pitiful weakness, for he could no longer even leave his bed alone. 

In fact, through careful thought, he realized he would not longer be able to rise again off his bed. For this, he called his people into his private chambers for one last hive wide circle.




King Thorax's Private Room





Thorax laid upon his bed, smiling at the thousands upon thousands of Changelings piled in the room. His smile was nice and bright, but his people were not at ease. They saw the weakness in the body of their Savior and small waves of fear and dull sadness pulsated throughout the room. Some Changelings were already crying, for they all felt the powerful waves of regret and fear coming from their Savior. 

However, to their surprise, Thorax clears his throat and addresses his people, "My little changelings," he began, a pulse of determination and courage filling the room, "I lay before you today not because I wish to. I never would purposefully harm those I love, but I can not go on anymore."

He coughs, his Changelings gasp as they see his shattered chitin around his hoof. Crying could be heard around the room, although the room was filled to the brim with the determination and Hope emanating from Thorax.
"I... plead with you, my little changelings, remember what we have done together. We defeated our own hatred and greed and conquered Love. We... we fought along side our greatest ally for decades upon decades."

"The little ponies, we need them. We always needed them, for they are our teachers and our greatest friends. It is they who showed us Love, it is they who protected us..."

He groans in his bed and bites his lip as his eyes start closing, "We need to stay together so I... I pass my crown... t..."

Before Thorax could declare his successor, his eyes stopped glowing. The room's Hope and Determination vanished and all that was left was Grief and Horror. The room tasted bitter and tears were spilt for hours upon hours.

Yet, strangely, there was one group of Changelings who did not cry. Instead, they ushered everyling out of the room calmly, hugging them and trying to spread what little joy was left in their hearts. Once all the Changelings had left the room, however, these ushers grinned. Their grand scheme could now begin.




Beautiful, sharp, strong, and colorful were both the body and mind of the Hero King Thorax. Even when he laid upon his death bed, noling could ever compare to the Savior in both his wisdom and courage in his leadership of the Changelings. However, these are contradictory facts to many changelings, for why is their immortal hero decaying in front of their very eyes? Why does he still smile, why does he still talk sweetly about the ponies and hardly speak of the changelings in his few moments out of his stupor? Why do his eyes seem dim and his chitin dull? Were the ponies more important than his heir? What was their future? Did they have a future? Would there be rebellions? Although the hivemind had long since been abandoned, these thoughts tossed around everyling as if it were still there. Bitter emotions swung around the room in a tsunami, gripping everyling by their hearts. Their minds were weak and they sought comfort with one another. Many were too embarrassed to breach their bubbles, though, and their mental faculties went haywire.

Then, a horrifying sight happened in front of the crowd of Changlings. A group of over 30 changelings, all of them known as the kind ones who ushered them out, fell to the floor and started molting. This brazen act of public indecency momentarily slapped most Changelings out of their thoughts and changed the emotion of the room into one of curiosity and disgust.  

It was not even a few seconds after they started molting had the group of changelings shed their old skins and, to the surprise of the other changelings, rose far above all others. Their chitin was pitch white, their eyes were a bright blue, their height exceeded the height of the Evil Queen, their glorious blue wings fluttered where wings once were missing, and their horns were shaped more like sabers. The only thing separating everyling was the different sizes, shapes, and colors of their antlers. They performed their molting in public not out of some lack of shame, as many suspected at first, but to draw attention, as there were quiet coughs coming from one of them. That was when the biggest and strongest among them stepped towards the large crowd gathering outside the King's tomb and began his speech. Noling had the will to try and stop his speech, for they couldn't keep their eyes off his beautiful scales and mesmerizing eyes.

"My Fellow Thoraxians," someling began, "I am Antennae Flitters, and I know why our King died today."

Gasps erupted in the room and chattering commenced. Feelings were thrown about the room. Traitor? said some, questioning the great white Changeling. Witnesses, maybe replied much more cautious changelings. This chattering, though, silenced as soon as Antennae clacked his hoof on the ground.

"What they taught you in magic schools about Love is all wrong," he said with a grim look and a kind voice, "for I have taken the REAL step towards metamorphosis through the magic that ponykind has hidden from us for a century!"

Chattering almost began, but was shot down by the pressure from the other changelings who stomped on the ground angrily and shouted, "TREACHERY!"

Their emotions rumbled throughout the room and, to Changelings, feelings can not lie. They knew these White Changelings weren't lying about the treachery, or about their belief in it, which caused a great load of doubt and worry among the crowd.

Antennae continued, "The forms you are all in now are a horrifying trap," he points to a random changeling, "for look at us! Why can so many of us no longer fly?"

During the brief pause for thought Antennae gave them, many Changelings got into thought. However, their thoughts were pushed hard by a suggestion.

"To imprison us!" shouted a white changeling, again filling the room with anger and fear. This made many Changelings bite their lips, their stomachs flipping.

"With the FALSE LOVE," he paused, "of Friendship that those ponies have given us, we have been fed just enough to appear better than we used to be, but we lost so much. What happened to our hive mind? Why must we speak our words to communicate? Why are we so weak compared to even our malnourished blackened selves? Of course, it is because we have traded our strength and unity for WEAKNESS."

Antennae stomps his hoof against the stone floor, actually cracking the stone, "We have found Real Love and, thus, have become what we truly are. Beings of Real Love! And, whether you all like it or not, you will all feel this Real Love, for freedom!"


Antennae's horn glows a violent green, popping and curling with power, and he blasts a Green changeling with a wave of Real Love. This changeling screams, of course, but, after the impact, she immediately starts molting and shivering with a smile.

This changeling laughs and prances around, her grin wide as he shouts towards another changeling with her horn sputtering with power, "Real Love! AH I must show you!"

Changelings started to realize what was happening, but many were too stunned to move. Those that tried fleeing were zapped in mid air and went to spread 'Real Love' to others. Antennae grins widely once all of the silly changelings had been shown the true path and says, "Who wants to spread this love back to the ponies?"


"We do We DO we do WEDO" shouted all of them, but not through their voice. No, the hivemind established between the group filled once more. Words need no longer be spoken by these Superior Changelings, 

However, Antennae still laughed deeply and shouted to the crowd, "Then we will show those ponies what REAL LOVE is, for LOVE!"

"FOR LOVE!"

"FOR LOVE!" "FOR LOVE"

Chants echoed throughout the hive mind, but there was no Queen nor a King. There were no strings on the Changelings anymore, for they were truly free and united. They were one, but many. They were independent, but collected...


 WE ARE FREE!