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// Entering the world 
// Story: The Tale Of Staticspark 
// by Staticspark 
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The storms blew strongly through the wastes. With no pegasi to regulate the weather, violent temperature and precipitation were always a possibility. Barely a plant grew anywhere in these wastes due to the harsh conditions. The scorching heat of the sun shone for days before powerful storms swept through drowning out any possibility of topsoil forming. It's in this environment a giant gnarled spire grew out of the ground; a constantly pulsating hive filled with angry hungry creatures known as changelings. Their dark insect-like appearance striking fear into any creature that came near. These twisted beasts did not eat any sort of normal food, but fed on the love and emotions of other "normal" creatures within the world of Equus.

    Looking out from her post atop the hive, Queen Chrysalis' vision scans the storms approaching her home as she curses her failures.  If she had taken over Equestria as she deserved, as the rightful ruler of all within her grasp, she would have a slave army of pegasi to clear the ominous storm clouds. She could give her subjects good weather and an infinite supply of pony love to feed off of. She licked her lips and her eyes glowed at the thought. Shining Armor had been such a feast, both for her eyes and for her belly. All she could think of now was her empty gnawing hunger. One she had known most of her life. Now was not the time to think of that though. There would be time for that later. For now she had to oversee her hive's emergency storm planning.

    As the storms grew stronger and closed in, she had to order a general retreat into the deeper areas of the hive. Lightning strikes were common on the huge spire that made up the hive during violent stormy conditions. They endangered her soldiers, as well as the eggs and brood within the hive. The eggs and young must be hand-moved underground for their protection. Eggs and grubs were quickly moved and counted and cataloged among the chaos. However, there was a conspicuous absence. Egg 101725 was missing. Commander Pharynx tried to personally go back to retrieve the egg, but with the wind battering the walls of the fortress and lightning strikes hitting their home, going back to get it was not an option.

    The storm raged and the walls opened up with a crash followed by a lighting strike. The poor missing egg was unfortunately along the bolt’s path to the ground. Heat surged through the egg and caused several cracks to form. The egg glowed with a charge field before that dissipated into smoke and steam. The now cracked and damaged egg and its contents were left battered by the elements for over an hour before the storm passed.

    Commander Pharynx sounded the all clear and the first repair crews began to remove the debris caused by the storm from the labyrinthine nest. As the repair crew entered into a room exposed to the western winds through a new gaping hole, the crews were horrified to find a small brood trying to escape its charred shell. “Go inform the Queen, she will decide its fate!” yelled the team three officer of the day. Commander Pharynx then appeared with a look of sad disdain knowing his Queen's likely reply.

    “What have We been summoned for? This better be important!” yelled an obviously annoyed changeling Queen. Didn't they know that her schemes were of much more importance than the life of some random brood? If Pharynx hadn't been such an important piece of her invasion she would have been rid of his annoying presence long ago.

    “Ma’am we have discovered the missing egg number 101725. It has been damaged by the storm and the brood barely survives, what shall we do?” asked a slightly distraught Pharynx. He could see the disdain she had in her eyes for such a "small issue" as the life of a single grub. However, he pushed the disappointed anger deep down inside, as duty to his Queen and hive must always come first.

    “Give the brood to the broodmothers in the lower levels. Order them not to feed this one for 24 hours. No need to waste love honey on a brood that will not survive the night,” she said coldly. She had no time for the issues of a single brood. There was scheming to be done. With a huff she left the room, her cold presence lifting immediately after her departure.

    Pharynx carried the poor grub down to the neo grub ward. The smell of burned egg innards and hemolymph on the newly hatched changeling was deeply disconcerting.  Finally arriving at the ward the broodmother examined the small creature. Upon examination she saw what she feared most. The lightning bolt had heated him so much it caused his exoskeleton to crack. “Pharynx, oftentimes when this occurs infection sets in and death becomes certain. I can dress the wound but I give him less than a 25 percent chance of survival.”

    “Do what you will, broodmother Coxa. Try to ensure his survival," said Pharynx. His heart not allowing him to relay the second part of his orders. His job was to ensure the safety of all those in the hive, his team had failed to do this for this small brood and that meant its life was his responsibility.

    The broodmother applied a special love honey to the wound that was usually reserved for royalty. This had worked in desperate situations in the past and she hoped it would again. The small brood tried to choke out a small insect-like cry but couldn’t. This brought a tear to the eye of Coxa as she could see his suffering. She had seen so much suffering in her time.

    Coxa had raised so many, and she had seen just as many come back from war disabled or dead. ‘One day I hope the love we feed on in this hive is what rules us,' she hoped silently in her heart. She had seen how the physically weakest were treated and just wanted that to end. Her favorite brood, Thorax, had been maliciously assaulted all his life for his gentle nature. Thank goodness he had been allowed to get a job working with the brood or else he may have been cast out onto the wastes like so many other “failures”.

    Coxa stayed up all night with the brood. Making sure to feed it at 2 hour increments and keep its wound salved. The wound on his left side looked so much like the very lightning bolt that had damaged his egg. Days went by like this and the brood began to show greater signs of life. Pharynx even popped in to check after every shift. The brood grew up and was named Electroplaque.