//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Getting to know the guests // Story: To Raise a Hive // by NovaShoxx //------------------------------// “So let me get this straight...” “…” “You and your…children…are called changelings.” “Correct.” “And you all came to this world…not to invade it… but because you were forced to leave your own.” “Yes.” Queen Chrysalis said, nodding. “Out of desperation.” “Right…Because the talking horse god that partly rules over it, Princess Celestiass, wanted to wipe out your entire species…just because of how you all looked?” “…Correct.” She replied, trying hard not to laugh her chitin off before she raised a tiny holed hoof. “And, to be more specific…” “Right. Because she was a greedy ruler who wanted all her subjects to love her. But because your kind literally feed off of love in order to survive, she decided you all had to go.” “Sigh. Indeed.” “And that’s why you’re all called changelings? Because you have to resort to stuff like shapeshifting, deceit, and even kidnapping just to get by?” “Y-Yes?” She answered. Why the hesitation? “Damn. And to think my life growing up was rough. Heh, I ain’t got shit on that.” “I…appreciate your sentiment.” “And the feedings, the kidnappings, posing as other ponies and lying to their friends and families…there’s really no other way around that? Around any of that?” “…No.” “…Damn.” Was all Rick had to say to that. The man was…at a total loss. I mean how could he not be? After hearing a story like that, about all that this little queen and her lot had to do just so they didn’t starve, who wouldn’t be balling there eyes out over that? Hypothetically speaking of of course. And take into account how smol the queen and her lings were, at least to him that is, (the queen had assured him they weren’t this small where they came from) it was really taking everything Rick had NOT to just scoop up all the little shivering suckers in front of him and give them the biggest hug he could give. Actually it probably would be the biggest hug they’d ever gotten in their case. But back to more important matters. “So emotions, love, how do you guys..?” “Feed off of them?” The queen rose a brow, prompting a nodding hum from the massive human. “Well, we just always have.” “Really?” The man asked, puzzled. “How?” “Well through magic of course.” The queen stated, as if it were common knowledge. This however was news to Rick. “Magic.” He repeated. “Uh-huh.” She casually replied. “Like ‘magic magic?’” He asked whilst utilizing his giant wigglers for air quotes. “With like spells and all that jazz?” “In a sense, yes.” The queen nodded, before nodding to the changeling beside her. No, not the one that was wearing more body armor than all her other little soldiers put together, but in fact the littler one sporting red hair, a red robe, and just about the cutest little pair of Harry Potter looking specs that Rick had ever seen. “If you’d like, I can have my head scholar Ruby here give you a more thorough explanation.” She then chuckled, the man raising a brow. “But in return, I’m sure she’ll want to know more about you and your kind.” The little brainy bug in question, who was among the last few to join the changelings’ first contact with their giant host, nodded vigorously up at him, her bouncing spectacles doing little to hide the blatant curiosity and ever-piling pool of questions from behind those gleaming orbs of hers. “Of course, along with her acolytes as well.” Glancing up at the assortment of changelings behind her, Rick did in fact take notice of said acolytes, them too all sporting red cloaks and all vigorously nodding their own heads made that part a little easier. But rather than be put off by all their overtly excessive enthusiasm, Rick, after a moment of consideration, only chuckled and nodded. “Well, I don’t see why not, sounds about fair enough.” He said, shrugging before smirking when the lot of them jumped and squeaked in joy, the head scribe herself even having to be restrained by a pair of guards when she almost about tried to rush the man for a hug. “T-Truly?!” The redheaded ling wildly asked as she turned and squirmed in the guards’ grip, they themselves physically straining to restrain her all the while. When the man only continued to smirk and nodded, the changeling was just about ready to bowl the poor soldiers over had it not been for the thankful intervention of the other changeling, the heavily armored one, tallest of the lot second only to the queen, walking over and placing a single hoof on her back and forcibly pushing her down to sit. The silent look he also probably gave her from what Rick could tell was what finally reined her in and brought her back to her senses. “You good?” Rick asked with a smile, to which the changeling, under the heavy scrutinizing eye of the apparent alpha ling, only nodded, a heavy blush glowing over her cutely embarrassed chitinous features. “Cool.” Rick nodded before returning his gaze back to the queen, who’d apparently been watching the whole exchange with ill-concealed enjoyment. “But still though…” He suddenly pondered aloud, causing Chrysalis and her lings to all look up at him. “How are you guys gonna eat? Last time I checked, love doesn’t just burst up from the floorboards, least not here that is.” “Oh rest assured, we didn’t come unprepared. We do have supplies.” The queen said, causing Rick to heave a sigh of relief. “Though, for how long…” Nevermind, relief revoked. “W-Well what’s wrong then?” He asked, his concern genuine, a fact that had surprised many a present ling, their queen in particular. She however sighed. “While it is true that we did bring with us more than enough reserves of love to last us several months, I fear that because of recent…events…what we have with us now would only stave us off from hunger for only a few weeks, if were lucky.” While many of the changelings in the crowd gasped following their queen’s news, Rick had never felt more a deeper pit form faster in his stomach when he saw the rest of them simply hang their little horned heads or embrace those beside them. As if this was already expected. No. Fuck that noise. Aliens or not, Rick wasn’t just gonna sit around on his ass and let these little guys starve themselves to death, not after all that shit they had to go through to get here. And even if he did, he’d probably never forgive himself. Momma didn’t raise a complete bastard, bless her soul. “Queen Chrysalis?” Rick suddenly asked, his suddenly dead-serious tone causing all in attendance to flinch, queen included. “Y-YeWOAH!?” Chrysalis hesitantly replied before she and the rest of her flock yelped at the sudden quake that was the human slamming both his hands down onto the boards, dust billowing from their impact. A second later and the queen found herself having to take one unqueenly step back as she found herself in uncomfortably close proximity with the man’s face. “Please Queen Chrysalis.” Rick said, practically groveling before the changling ruler despite the titanic size difference. “If there’s anything I can do for you and your kind, just tell me.” “Tr-Truly?” The queen finally, hesitantly asked once she’d gotten over the initial surprise. Now, the shock of realizing that the giant being before Chrysalis was not only offering aid to her cause and children, but meant every word of it too? That was new. He nodded, by the way. “Th-Then…” She gulped. “If you really do mean it, then...then prove it by banishing away your Tartarus beast!” “My what?” RUFF Now, it was at that moment that Chimera, having actually been present this entire encounter as he silently sat beside his honorable and heavenly-charitable master, finally decided to throw in his two Scooby snacks. That of which being instantly insulted not by being insulted himself, but by the insinuation that his master hadn’t already proven himself benevolent enough by simply offering his aid in the first place. Sadly though, with Chimera still in fact being a pup and thus lacking both the abilities to comprehend big words and, you know, speak, he decided to instead utilize what he did have over his adversary. That of which being size and intimidation. And seeing as his current size already intimated the changelings to a great degree, simply adding in a bark and a growl were what stamped his point home as the little bugs’ queen flinched while the rest of her swarm took a collective step back. Except the bigger one though, who took a step forward, putting himself between his queen and the monstrous pup who met his steely gaze with a mismatched glare of his own. “Wait.” Rick suddenly said, glancing between the changelings and his lovable little meat-shredder. “You mean Chimera here? What did he do?” “What did HE do?!” The queen hollered before she thrusted an accusatory hoof at the stanced-up pup from behind Her protective Brute. “IT ATE one of MY poor children!” “He a-“ Blinking, Rick turned sharply to stare at his little pup, aghast at what the pup had apparently done. “Chimera! Say it ain’t so, boy! Did you really…” Suddenly on the spot and teetering on the edge of receiving that which any loyal canine’s feared, the scolding, the little dog raced for a quick defense. But just before he could muster up a suitable response that would clear his name in an instant, he suddenly felt something was…off. Cough. “Chimera?” Rick asked, raising a brow. Cough…Cough “Chimera.” Rick said worriedly, his entire body shifting to give the now hacking dog his full attention. “Chimera, what’s wrong with you buddy?” “Is it…alright?” Chrysalis asked from behind her guard, who still remained standing stoically in front of her, his eyes narrowing slightly at the dog. “H-He should be.” Rick said nervously, glancing between the queen and his pup, who at this point was now doing a fair deal of dry-heaving too. “But I don’t know what’s gotten into him all of a sudden.” He then began to pat the dog’s back in an attempt to aid the dog’s efforts. “Chim. Buddy. What’s wrong with yo-?” Cough Cough KACK “…” “…” “…” “…Huh. Guess that answers that question, then.” “G-Guard?!” Chrysalis yelled in a sort of horrified-relief. “Yo-You’re alive?!” You bet your sweet, black, bug ass he was! Yes that guard, the very same guard who Chrysalis owed her life to for saving not too long ago was, in fact, very much alive. So alive that it shocked not only her, obviously, but all other changelings in attendance. Hell, even Brute couldn’t help but raise a unexpected brow at the unexpected reappearance of the thought-to-be lost guard. “Burrow!” Blinking, Chrysalis’s ears twitched to the chorus of clanking armor and galloping hooves and she barely had a moment to turn to whoever had voiced the guard’s presumable name before several familiar guards brushed passed her and Brute to tackle their poor comrade, bug-piling him in the process despite still being clearly coated in…something…wet. “Burrow! Buddy, you’re alive!” “I-We didn’t think you’d make it, bro!” “I knew you would, though! Didn’t doubt it for a second, Burrow!” “But…how are you still alive, though?” Collectively blinking, the guards looked from one another before turning to their fellow ling. “Yeah. How ARE you still alive?” “Yeah, yeah. Shouldn’t you be dog chow right now?” “Still didn’t think you died by the way. But I am curious.” Now, having all eyes on him, his queen, his commander’s, and apparently now a giant…thing’s attention as well, the guard, rather than answer them all outright and after having silently separated himself from the pile and still dripping from his earlier intestinal confines, turned and pointed a defiant hoof up at his previous, now currently confused, furry prison. “Ha hah! If my queen wanted you to NOT have a tummy ache, she wouldn’t have created me!” Blinking down at the changeling who refused to be eaten, Chimera was dumbfounded a moment before he shook his head and growled at the utter audacity of the little shit before him just begging to go another round in his gut. And you know what? He was going to do just th- Without warning, there came a sudden force that fell on the pup’s head, causing him to pause mid-growl. Looking up, it was his master’s hand, patting his head affectionately. “Come on Chim.” Rick said, smirking. “Cut the little bug some slack.” He waved his other hand at the changeling who seemed to puff his chest a little at that. “First time I’ve EVER seen you cough up anything you didn’t wanna cough up, so just call it even, yeah?” Bullshit was what Chimera wanted to call it. And he would’ve, had it not been for the sudden look that the human gave him, as if already knowing what the pup wanted to say and thus stopped that metaphorical train before it even left it’s proverbial station. In this case, a bark of defiance was reduced to a whimpering acknowledgment in less than a second. “And don’t think I’ll be the one forgiving you for this neither.” The man continued, watching his loyal little companion dip his head even lower in shame. “I believe that matter falls to our guests.” He further said, nodding at the little guys who all seemed to collectively flinch when Chimera glanced up at them. “And their queen, of course.” He then rose a brow, smiling as he definitely noticed Chrysalis’s body go stiff when the dog’s mismatched eyes locked with her own, knowing damn well that his pup was probably giving her the classic puppy dog eyes. And now it was only a matter of time before- “W-Well, I-I suppose that since my guard was safely returned to me, I’ll forgive the beast for its actions…j-just this once!” Bingo. And now to top it all off. “Well isn’t that good to hear?” Rick posed innocently, noticing the cute little glare Chrysalis was definitely sending his way. “But still, I do feel partly responsible something like this happened in the first place.” Hearing that, both Chrysalis and Chimera froze, with the little dog thinking more punishment was in order while the little queen though she’d be apart of the further punishment. The man simply shook his head. “Yup, guess I’ll just have to dish out an extra serving of chow for you tonight, pup. …What? …Ruff? “Wait.” Chrysalis said, raising a brow as she processed the human’s words. “You’re rewarding it?” She blinked, several times in fact as her face suddenly contorted and scrunched, her shifting features plainly better emphasizing her utter confusion and bafflement then words alone. “Wh-, w-, why are you suddenly rewarding it?!” And as that statement was exclaimed, one which seemed to send a twitch through one present pup’s floppy ears and now slightly wagging tail, the man continued to think aloud to himself, almost as if he hadn’t heard hear her at all. He definitely did though. “Hmm…probably gonna have to break out the top shelf stuff too. That gonna be a whole can or two? Eh, guess we’ll just have to find out later to-oof.“ Having heard just enough, Chimera, whom had been slowly closing the distance between himself and his master while he spoke, couldn’t take it anymore and promptly rushed the last few feet between them, jumped, and to the utter shock of all else in attendance, collided with his master’s chest with enough force to send the suited giant crashing to the floor with a thunderous thud, size difference be damned, and kicking up a great gust of dust that rolled over the changelings like a rumbling fog, forcing out from them a chorus of coughing and sneezing all the way up until the dust subsided. And when the dust finally settled a few too many moments later, the blinking few to recover first, queen included, found themselves staring up at quite the interesting scene. The furred four-legged beast, who’s size mind you was dwarfed by the behemoth a dozen times over, now stood upon his fallen master’s chest, tail wagging furiously, tongue out and panting, and mismatched eyes aglow with a youthful wonder. The man for his part, simply continued to lay in the settling dust, smirking up at the little pup that almost danced upon his sharply dressed chest. ARF! Went the little dog, a question obviously, posing something along the lines of question, drowned heavily in that familiar mixed sense of childlike curiosity and wonder, if Rick’s words in fact rang true. Which they in fact did, when the man chuckled before nodding. “Yes, Chimera. It’s true. I’m- he-hey! HeHAH! Hey stop licking sto-, no licking boy!” Sadly the dog did not, in fact, stop licking as having his disbelief answered only had the licking doubled, rendering the man a helpless, laughing heap, powerless to stop the slobbering assault as a result. And the whole time, while the dog licked and the man laughed, the queen and her changelings just stood there in quiet wonder. And it was there that they continued to wonder. Wondering at the utter power that this mere pup had over its master. Wondering still at the kind of relationship that these two massive beings held, confusing as it was. And of course wondering what…what was… “D-Do you smell that too?” One changeling suddenly whispered. “I do.” Another ling piped up, it’s eyes slowly widening as it wings began to twitch. A murmur soon began to spread about the lings, hushed words intermingling with the shuffling of holed hooves and buzzing wings that slowly began to build upon itself with each passing second. Could it be? “My queen.” Brute suddenly spoke, his helmeted head turning slightly towards her despite his eyes never leaving the sight of the two giants. He already knew. But he just had to be sure that- “Yes, Brute.” Chrysalis quietly answered, her eyes catching a glimpse of the crowd behind her before they fell back on the giant and his dog. They then narrowed slightly. “I do.” The commander’s body stiffened, his silent suspicions confirmed and so quickly too. There wasn’t a doubt about it now. Not even a shadow. Chrysalis, Brute, and now everling else, at that moment, knew just what exactly it was that they were all smelling. Love.