//------------------------------//
// Captor and Captive 
// Story: Droning On 
// by James Pwyll 
//------------------------------//

To say that Twilight was not unnerved by her circumstances would have been a lie. After all, it wasn't that long ago that she and her friends were doing battle with creatures just like the one who now sat in front of her. Yet Thorax had, aside from his unwanted breaking-in of course, never once displayed any of the aggressive traits his fellow Changelings had shown back in Canterlot. In fact, if you knew nothing about Changelings and then saw him now, sitting quietly while reading a book Twilight had kindly offered him, you'd suspect they were a perfectly decent people. Yet Twilight could not forget what transpired with Thorax's kind when last they met, and after she saw him flip through the next page of the aforementioned book, she cleared her throat to gain his attention. And gain it she did, as he stood at attention immediately, giving a salute, which prompted a quick eye-roll from Twilight before she finally spoke. "So...you mentioned before that you and I had met?"

Thorax nodded. "I did, my Queen."

Twilight grimaced, if only briefly. She still hadn't gotten used to being called that, and was uncertain she ever would. A part of her even wondered if this was how Princess Celestia felt whenever ponies used that title. Was she too uncomfortable at being addressed with her royal name? A question for later, Twilight decided, and so focused again on Thorax. "So...did you mean you saw me during the fight my friends and I had with you and the other Changelings?"

Thorax shook his head. "No. I mean you and I directly fought one another."

Twilight blinked, wracking her brain to remember that fight in as much detail as she could. Though she was loathe to admit it, she really couldn't remember any physical difference between Thorax and any of the other Changelings, and that realisation gave her at least a little feeling of shame. After blushing slightly, she spoke in a more nervous way than before. "Um...I don't suppose you could narrow that list down, could you? I fought a lot of Changelings that day."

Another nod from Thorax. "If you'll recall, I had transformed into you during that fight. And in the brawl you pinned me to the ground and used your magic to dispel my disguise."

Only upon hearing that did Twilight's memory finally give her the image she'd been searching for. "Oh yes, I remember you now." She chuckled drily. "Probably not a good idea to take on my image if you don't have the magic to back it up."

Thorax sighed. "Unfortunately, only a Changeling Queen has magical power outside of the ability to transform. Not even taking on the image of a unicorn will grant me skill in spellcraft."

Twilight considered his words, then, in a moment of wanting to distance them from the memory of their past battle, turned her attention to the book she'd given him. "So...enjoying it?"

Thorax looked to her, then to the book, gently placing his hoof upon it. "It is...interesting."

Twilight stepped forward. "Oh? How so?"

Thorax closed the book, holding it up and looking over the cover. "A history of Equestria, volume one. My people knew little of your lands, save that your people lived on it."

Twilight looked to him with confusion. "Chrysalis never told you about us? I'd have thought that would have been pretty important if you were going to be attacking us."

Thorax, upon putting the book down again, shook his head. "Chrysalis preferred to keep all such information herself. She was the one doing the infiltrating, so whatever she learned about your nation and ponykind she felt only she had any business learning. As for the rest of us..." He shrugged. "We were simply to come in on her signal and attack."

Hearing that, Twilight frowned. "Well...she didn't seem like a leader who trusted her followers all that much. Can't really blame you for being sick of her." She paused then, sighed. "Even though I wish you hadn't all resorted to that particular way of dispatching her."

Thorax nodded to his chosen Queen. "Perhaps. But it was a long time coming, if we're being honest. She was always withholding things from us, expecting us to follow commands because of her position as Queen. From the moment I first opened my eyes, crawling out of my egg, that was how it was."

Those final words caught Twilight's notice, and her inner scientist began to make itself known as she studied her guest closely. "You know...your being here might be of great benefit to Equestria. You are, after all, a completely unknown race to us. There's a lot you can teach us."

Thorax looked her right in the eye. "What do you wish to know?"

For the first time in a while, Twilight smiled. "Well, first things first, what kinds of structure does your society have? What ranks or levels of hierarchy are there between you and the Queen?"

There was a pause on Thorax's part, but only a brief one. "...There are none."

Twilight blinked, then frowned to him. "N...none?"

Thorax nodded. "Within my hive, there was the Queen and there were the drones. One leader and thousands of her followers. We serve at her command, fighting, building tunnels, infiltrating and generally serving her. At any given moment, any drone could do what she wanted, when she wanted. There were only two 'levels of hierarchy' in our hive, and she occupied the top one all by herself."

Twilight grimaced. "Well, that's...simple, at least." She scratched the back of her head, then resumed her smile as she got another idea for a question. "Oh! What about where you come from? Is there a Changeling homeland somewhere out there beyond Equestria's borders?"

A silence as Thorax considered the question, and when he spoke it was with uncertainty. "Doubtless there was some place, far away and long ago, where we originated. But whatever place that was it is lost to our history. My people have often been on the move, going wherever our need to feed took us. Perhaps one hive or another might settle if they found some place where they could feed regularly, but as far as my hive was concerned, we never had a permanent dwelling or place to call home."

A moment of sympathy came to Twilight, even though she had to constantly remind herself that this creature before her was one who had made himself an enemy of her people. But even so, the thought of having nowhere to call home was an upsetting one, and soon Twilight just couldn't help but express that sympathy. "I'm...sorry to hear that."

Thorax, as had happened so often now, did not share her worries. "My people feel little, my Queen. You needn't worry about upsetting me."

Twilight shook her head. "So...you feel nothing? Nothing at all? No joy, no sadness? Nothing?"

Again, Thorax shook his head. "No, I do not. We feed on love, but we cannot feel it or anything else. We may feel a sense of self-preservation in dangerous situations, but that is not the same as fear. We may feel a sense of contentment at satisfying our need to consume love, but that is not the same as joy." He took in a deep breath, then gestured to her. "We are not like you, Twilight. I am not like you. After all you have seen of us, I would have thought that obvious by now."

His words prompted a frown on Twilight's part. "Chrysalis certainly had emotions. Anger, enjoyment over deceiving everypony..."

Thorax nodded. "True. Queens are a breed apart from drones. Just as they have magic, so too do they have higher functions, like the ability to feel and express emotions. And my mother certainly revelled in those feelings whenever victory was near."

Twilight too nodded, albeit slowly, as she took in that description of the now-fallen Queen. Yet there was something nestled among Thorax's words that caught her interest. "Wait...your mother?"

Another nod from the done. "Yes. Queen Chrysalis was the mother to all the drones you saw attacking Canterlot. Myself included."

Horror came to Twilight now, and she backed away instantly, though Thorax remained where he was as he looked to her. This new information replayed itself in Twilight's mind over and over, and as the realisation of just who she'd been talking to sank in, her words were similarly hesitant. "You...you're the son of Chrysalis?!"

Thorax blinked, then nodded yet again. "Yes, I am."

Twilight gave herself a facehoof. "You didn't think that little tidbit was worth mentioning earlier?"

Thorax shook his head. "I didn't think it relevant."

A groan of irritation escaped his host. "Uuuuuugh! Thorax! If ponies were going to have a hard time accepting you because you followed Chrysalis' orders, just how difficult a time do you think you'll have when they find out you're part of her family?"

The captive drone considered that, but looked to her as blankly as he always did. "I realise ponies place great value on family bonds, but I did not consider that it might lead them to view me differently than they already did. It did not halt my kind from turning on our former Queen after all."

The thought of Chrysalis' fate resurfaced in Twilight's mind, putting her talk with Thorax in a rather uncomfortable light. "So...you had no problems at all? She was your mother and you all..." She didn't finish, instead glancing away from him.

Thorax's brow creased, but only slightly, as if displaying the barest hint of confusion. "I continue to be puzzled by your disdain for the loss of her life. Had she had her way, your people would have been severely hurt."

Twilight finally looked back to him, giving him a clear look of disapproval. "Maybe so, but I still don't like the idea of sons killing their mothers."

Thorax looked down to his book again. "If it is any consolation, she was a mother who would have gladly sacrificed all of us if it meant assuring her victory over ponies."

Twilight sighed deeply. "It does not make me feel better...but thank you all the same." Her words had been devoid of feeling, mostly because her feelings were fairly confused right now. Here was a drone who had sworn fealty to her, yet he was also one who had not only directly attacked her but also participated in the death of his former leader. Being near somecreature like that would have been a dubious thing for anypony, and Twilight wondered to herself just how such a people had ever come to be. So without love or any kind of positive feeling, save for the desire to take love from others. And speaking of which, that thought in particular now took centre stage in her mind. "And your need for love? Is that going to be a problem, Thorax? I'm not going to have to restrain you from going after it with other ponies, am I?"

Looking back up to her, Thorax shook his head. "No. I will not require nourishment for some time. There is little danger at present."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, I suppose I should be grateful for small blessings at least."

Then, as soon as she'd said that, they both turned at the sound of the door crashing open. It was Spike, who rushed in and panted heavily before gesturing outside. "It's...it's..."

Twilight understood immediately, and so rushed outside. Thorax followed her, assuming his pony disguise as he did so. Once out there, they both looked up, and through the near-blinding light of the sun, they finally saw it. A regal figure carried in a golden chariot, with no less than a dozen pegasi guards accompanying her. Princess Celestia had arrived in Ponyville, and though Twilight was always happy to see her mentor, she remembered instantly her reasons for being here, and so turned to Thorax with a more solemn expression. "Prepare yourself. I'm not sure how this is going to go."

Thorax, as ever, gave a dutiful salute. "I am...ready."