//------------------------------// // In Bees I Say. // Story: Luna is Covered in Bees. // by JediWyrm //------------------------------// The guards guided Celestia down the hallways as she charged to the rescue, horn aglow. Her sister came into sight as show rounded a corner. Sliding to a halt at the view it took her centuries of practice to not laugh. Luna was covered in bees. "Lulu, are you okay?" She asked, having to almost shout to be heard over the buzzing. "Mostly. I haven't been stung yet but I am very wary of walking. Every time I move some of the bees shift and end up of my frog. They are very ticklish." Luna explained in a strained voice. "Well if I can find the queen I can move her and have the swarm follow. Though they normally don't land in ponies en masse like this." Celestia said while powering up a spell and letting a wave of magic wash over the bees. "Getting some kind of feedback that's preventing me from finding the queen. It has been years since I practiced my apiculture. We should head down to the gardens and talk to one of the beekeepers." She suggested. "Tia can you help me get there." Luna asked. Celestia wrapped her sister and passengers in her telekinetic field and floated them along behind her as she trotted down to the gardens. Apis Melis was quietly notified by one of the palace staff about the oncoming princesses and their situation. This was actually a relief as she had been fretting about where all the bees in the hives had disappeared to. She straightened her vest and as quickly as she could made herself presentable. Celestia walked up to the yellow and black coloured mare with a honeycomb cutie-mark. "Apis, could you be a dear and help me find the queen bee so we can de-bee my sister. The spell gave me some feedback but you have more practice at using it." "Certainly your highness." She responded before lighting up her horn. A look of concentration quickly formed on the mare's face and she refocused the spell several times. "Well, I think I figured out why the spell gave you feedback. Luna herself is registering as a queen, and it's overruling the several actual queens on her." She explained. The Luna shaped bee blob hung her head slightly. "Luna. Do you know why all the bees see you as an ultra-queen?" Celestia asked her sister, her tone tending slightly towards a mother asking about the cookie pot's new crack. "I may have... acquired a new perfume recently." Celestia continued staring at her sister. After almost a full minute, far longer than most ponies or beings could've held up under the solar diarch's glare, Luna finally admitted, "It was spoils of battle sister." "Well, I don't think King Thorax might particularly want some kinda bee-queen perfume, you should have at least asked him for it. I'll write a letter to him explaining and seeing if he might be willing to retroactively gift it to you." Celestia chastised. Knowing now the source of her discomfort, Luna ran a deodourizing spell over herself. Apis quickly and carefully pulled the queens off of the larger mare and began moving back towards the hives. The swarm of bees soon followed. King Thorax was reorganizing the royal chambers and was staring at the vanity. Going over what was there trying to find a certain vial. After several hours of searching in anyplace he could think he determined that he would have to ask the apiary drones to make another of their special perfume. Tending the bees and collecting honey from them was just so much easier if one could get the entire swarm away from the hive. The fact the the buzzing of the swarm was an excellent massage for the changelings was just a great side benefit. The next day a letter arrived from Canterlot. Dear King Thorax, My sister took a bottle of perfume from Chrysalis's former chambers in your hive. She wanted to claim it as a spoil of battle. I am unsure if it would be something you wanted or would be okay with her keeping. It does seem to have an odd effect on the bees we have around the castle. We can make arrangements to send it back to you if that is what you desire. Sincerely, Princess Celestia. Thorax looked over the page a couple more times before laughing to himself at the image of the Lunar Princess covered in bees. Shuffling through the vanity once more he pulled out a small vial before summoning over one of the drones. The drone pulled out parchment and quill and began to scribe. "Celestia, Luna can keep the perfume. Our Apiculture drones use it to assist in harvesting honey. Though if she enjoys the scent of it but doesn't want to be a walking about with a swarm on her, tell her to add this to the mixture. It will nullify the pheromones which attract the queens and their drones. Thorax." The drone rolled the letter up and took the vial from its King before flying off to Canterlot to make the delivery. A week later found Celestia and Luna hiding in a bush in the gardens. They had managed to sprinkle a little of the perfume on Twilight before mentioning that the gardeners had added some flowers from outside of Equestria. It wasn't long before the purple alicorn was being chased by a swarm of bees. A swarm that was then being chased by a certain yellow pegasus trying her hardest to calm them down and get them to return to their hives and normal bee duties. Rarity had fled into the castle on sight of the bees, while Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were enjoying the antics of their friends. Looking at each other the diarchs then carefully floated a couple drops towards the trio of laughing ponies. The chaos piqued the interest of Discord who was watching the mayhem in dimiuative size riding on of the bees in the swarm.