//------------------------------// // 17- Remus // Story: Approaching Apotheosis // by KKSlider //------------------------------// Errant embers from torches carried by changelings drifted towards the crystal floor, light flickering as they fell. The sound of burbling water accompanied the soft crackle of the wood and wax torches. Four hundred pairs of eyes watched as King Phasmatodea, Pontiff of the Hive Eternal and Panar’s Will made manifest, strode down the aisle in his full panoply of war. His Adamantium armor, Unbroken Radiance, clanked with every step he took. His war hammer, God-Splitter, swayed from side to side from its position above his back as Phasma rested the handle against his shoulder while he walked. Behind the King, a trail of attendants followed. They bore holy artifacts: a few of the tapestries from the Fourth Hive’s throne room and many golden and silver goblets, swords, symbols of The Great Weaver, and more. However, unlike the tapestries of old, these ornamented pieces were nothing more than the metals and gems they were made out of. It would be this ceremony that would imbue them with the holy properties that were always attributed to ancient artifacts and valued holy treasures. Captain Nicro of the Fifth Legion bowed deeply when his King approached the altar. As the royal stepped up, the attendants fanned out in a semicircle around the dais. It was a simple box made from a solid chunk of rose marble hewn and hauled up from the Underhive pass. At its base on the raised dais, a spring spouted from the ground and collected in a large rounded pool. At nine points, water flowed leisurely into small channels cut into the ground and towards the edges of the room. Nine equal spaces divided the room between these channels. The first two were the smallest and contained the main walkway to the doors of the temple’s chamber. The other seven sections were larger, hosting the gathered changelings rather than more empty aisles, and each ended in bare plinths below large carved spaces that would host stained glass windows once the room was completed. Six empty plinths accompanied six empty windows. The seventh, opposite from the door, contained a stained glass window of a changeling in orange Praetorian armor, bearing a shield in front of him. His statue stood tall and proud behind King Phasmatodea. ‘Seal the room.’ The voice over the Weave came as a rush. Captain Nicro was at once filled with an ingrained desire to obey his King’s command. He rose from his bow and watched from his place behind the altar as the four Red Right Hoof guards in their Nisir armor exited the room and closed the heavy banded wooden doors. King Phasmatodea spread his forelegs out towards the gathered changelings. “Brothers. Sisters. Leave behind your duties, titles, and stations. Behind these doors, we are equals. I have brought you all here for you all have proven yourself as steadfast, loyal, caring, and dependable warriors of the Fifth Hive. Your numbers have been drawn from both sides of the civil war. Your actions have shone through the bloodshed and grim reality of our species’ downfall. Your bravery and dedication to protecting and guiding those who look up to you have been an unrecognized layer of chitin around us, safeguarding the Hive Eternal from fear and doubt.” Phasma lowered his forelegs, “I have seen artifacts whose power cannot be attributed to mortals. I have witnessed a literal miracle, two mortals gaining near-immortality. I have lived beyond death itself. It cannot be denied that there is a power above us all, trying to keep us afloat. Panarthropo. Harmony. The Ancestors. Each species has its own guardian. Each species has its own rites, rituals, and methods of worship– but the war against the Umbrum has come at a great cost to the changelings. We have lost so much that we do not recognize what we once were. “But we shall not despair. No, we will strike the earth and forge a new identity! Just as we carve out this Hive in the Crystal Caves, we also reclaim the lost First Hive. We have traded in the Masquerade Protocol, that had dictated our kind’s diplomacy and subterfuge for over ten thousand years, in exchange for an alliance with Equestrians. We shattered our old identity and forged a new one in its stead! “Now, I bring you all here to this temple that has been carved out in our new city. In the world where I am from, holy sites were called such because, in times long past, saints or gods themselves were said to have visited the sites, were buried there, or were associated in some other way. By those notions, this room is nothing more than a recently excavated cavern. This water here is nothing more than a natural spring.” Nicro glanced down at the clear water collected in the shallow basin. A broken reflection of the torches and gathered changelings flickered in the rippling water. He could barely spy out his own reflection in the corner of the pool, behind Phasma’s. Phasma continued, “We are changelings. We are forging a new identity for our entire race. So we shall forge our new holy sites, as well. Let this chamber, this water, these words, and those present be blessed by the greatest strength that the Hive Eternal has ever possessed: ourselves! Our ancestors dedicated their lives to upholding an unbroken Masquerade. Millions over the history of our race have given all that they had for the Hive Eternal. Each of you has proven capable and willing to uphold and honor this tradition. Each of you was nominated by your brothers and sisters for a reason. You have proven valiant enough, brave enough, and empathetic enough to not only continue the legacy left to us by our fathers and mothers, but also improve and build upon this legacy. “This past year has been the darkest the Hive Eternal has ever seen. We have come closer to the brink of extinction than ever before. War has ravaged our people, and another looms on the horizon. But shining examples of changeling strength still shine through this darkness! When the Fourth Hive was ordered to make its way through the Underhive, and you all were faced with an unending darkness, it was Nicro here who lit the way! I was not there to witness his bravery and selflessness, but he would not be here before you if you all did not select him as the first among equals.” Nicro reflected on the months in the dark. As Captain of the Underhive Scarabs, the glorious duty fell to him to map the Underhive and get the Fourth Hive to Canterlot. While he knew caves, those Goddess-forsaken pits of the damned put every little bit of skill and knowledge to the test. He lost over a thousand changelings in the first month alone. Keeping the tunneling on track northward proved just as difficult as keeping them clear, just without the cost of changeling lives. ‘Over two thousand drones dead, yet I am the hero?’ “There is one other champion who must be recognized, one who has given all that he had for the Hive Eternal. Just as I look to him for inspiration, I invite all of you to venerate Praetorian Oestridae The Unyielding for his bravery and unbreakable loyalty to the Hive Eternal. When his duty came, Oestridae held the line against an army! When the last of the Will of Panar fell in defense of their cause, Oestridae remained! He gave all that he had for a cause that he did not– could not– know for certain if it would succeed or fail.” ‘Oest… There’s a name I haven’t heard in months. There’s a hero.’ Most changelings involved in the upper echelons of the Swarm have heard of the Praetorian. He was a formidable soldier, one who did his duty to his end. Prince Pharynx had spoken highly of the fallen soldier, even though the Prince considered him a traitor at the time. Such a notion was… disputed by the Fourth Hive’s now-defunct counsel of drones. “So let us dedicate ourselves and our lives to continue his fight! Let us consecrate this city, this temple, this chamber, and all within by the courage of our beating hearts and our unbreakable faith in the Hive Eternal! The world has conspired to erase us in the past, yet we remain! Time and time again, the Hive Eternal was pushed to the brink of destruction, yet we remain! Now, we rise stronger than ever! Where all others fall, we remain!” Phasma’s voice sang to Nicro across the Weave, and he found himself joining in the crowd’s response. “We Remain!” The changelings cheered. “By all the power that The Great Weaver has invested in me, by all the courage of those fallen so that we may stand, and by the dedication of those who still live for the Hive Eternal, I consecrate this holy order of the Hive Eternal! “Brothers, sisters, step forth and be anointed as Chaplains of the Order of Oestridae. As it is woven, so it shall be.” At his command through the Weave, the attendants in front of the dais produced golden chalices that were dipped into the pool. The gathered changelings stepped out from their orderly rows to be blessed by the attendants. Each changeling knelt as the water was gently poured from the chalices onto their foreheads while prayers to Panar were quietly spoken. Nicro knelt as Phasma stood over him with his own chalice. “Nicro of the Underhive Scarabs,” Phasma said. “Do you accept the duty for which you were nominated: the leadership of the Order of Oestridae?” “I accept,” Nicro replied. “Do you swear to uphold the Will of Panar, to protect the weak of the Hive, and to stand against its enemies?” “I swear,” Nicro replied. “Do you accept the duty of guiding not only the drones who look up to you, but the Chaplains of this order itself? Do you accept the burden of training and selecting new candidates for this first and only holy order?” “I accept this burden,” Nicro replied. Phasma lowered the chalice to Nicro’s mouth and tipped it forward, letting Nicro drink from the water. After a moment, he withdrew the cup. “I, Phasmatodea, bless this water with what power I have been granted as Pontiff of the Hive Eternal. Let the faith of your own beating heart carry you the rest of the way. Like your Chaplain brothers and sisters, you shall be a warrior dedicated to defending the Hive Eternal. You shall be a mentor to those looking for guidance. And, most importantly, you shall be a friend to the changelings who need you. You shall defend the weak, uplift the poor, and guide the tired. As it is woven, so it shall be.” “As it is woven, so it shall be,” Nicro replied. “Rise, Grandmaster Nicro.” Nicro stood as Phasma retrieved a cyan cloak and placed it around Nicro’s shoulders. The cloak left the right foreleg bare, with a small shield-shaped golden clasp on display across his right shoulder. Nicro saw the other Chaplains receive matching cloaks with each anointing. However, his alone had a gold trim around the edge. Grandmaster Nicro looked out over the four hundred Chaplains and made a silent promise to be worthy of the honor bestowed upon him. “Thank you for inviting us, Phasma,” Celestia smiled. Her smile waived for a moment as she glanced down at the ‘food’ that sat on her plate. Changeling cooking was… new to everyone involved. And since she couldn’t taste any of the emotions that had been baked directly into the recipes, she was missing the majority of the flavors. “It’s a sign of trust and friendship,” I returned the smile. “And no, noling’s expecting you to enjoy the food.” She gently pushed the plate away, “If only ponies said that to me more often. I’ve had countless meals that were closer in composition to refuse than edible food. Not that your food is terrible, just….” “Unremarkable?” I offered. Celestia giggled, “Quite.” “I’d say that’s a victory. Not too long ago, the changelings only worked with love and whatever meager scraps were grown in the Greencave back in the Fourth Hive.” The white alicorn looked around our table. The celebration marking the beginning of the changeling’s new city, particularly the planned-out temple complex, was being held inside the Crystal Caverns, in the temple’s outer rooms. The sanctuary where the ceremony was held was several corridors away, with everyone gathered in what will be the main ‘yard.’ Many, many lings were present, with the rest having their own celebration with their friends throughout the Hive. The only ponies invited were the Princesses, my aid Bray Call, Quick Search– who was currently a valuable member of the Red Right Hoof and potentially will be invited into the newly founded Order in time– and Twilight Sparkle. Oh, and Shining Armor and two thestrals were present. They had gravitated towards a table with the leaders of the Swarm. Twilight was busy pestering Grandmaster Nicro with questions. Cadance was sticking close to Celestia’s side, patiently observing everything and answering questions that the occasional ling would ask her. As the Princess of Food, she was remarkably popular. Quick Search and Bray Call were catching up on everything they missed while separated. As for the most important princess of the three… “Are you going to be the new queen?” “Indeed!” “Does that mean you’ll be King Phasma’s new mom?” Luna was having fun with the nymphs that crowded around our table. “Er,” Luna balked. “Not quite.” “Not even in bed?” Cadance whispered, to which I just rolled my eyes. A second nymph piped up, “What does a queen do, then?” Luna shrugged, “Queen things.” The nymph paused, nodded, turned to her friends, and repeated, “Queen things.” “Queen things!” “.... What are queen things?” The collection of miniature changelings all turned back to Luna for answers. The taste of fear pulled my attention away from the spectacle, and I left Luna to her fate. Celestia was staring at me. "Something wrong?" I asked her. Celestia blinked, shut down her outward fear, and smiled, "Not here. Tonight." Cadance's eyebrows raised in chorus with mine, "Something we should be concerned about?" Celestia patted Cadance on the shoulder. "No, no. It's just becoming more clear what we need to do. Phasma, make sure my sister and Cadance are present for our chat. In the meantime, I would like to speak to Twilight about- oh! Now that's unexpected." I turned to follow her gaze. Channeling no small amount of energy, I teleported myself across the entire chamber to the entrance, where a pony was being escorted in by half of a squad of Red Right Hoof guards. At my sudden appearance before them, the soldiers snapped to attention. Daring Do bowed before me, "Hello, Your Majesty." People were already breaking off their conversations to stare at the interruption. The yellow pegasus was wrapped up in some sort of paltry disguise consisting of a purple cloak, red glasses, and a gray sunhat. “What is she doing here?” I hissed at one of the guards. The guard saluted, “She stated that she has dire news for Princess Celestia, My King! Given the implied urgency, and that her identity is known to us and she was confirmed to not be a disguised–” “Get Celestia,” I ordered one of them without taking my eyes off Daring Do. “What is the urgent news?” I gauged her emotions as she hesitated to respond. Detecting generic emotions was a skill any changeling had, but only trained Infiltrators could detect specific emotions with exactness. As far as I could tell, she was…. Anxious. ‘Better than hatred. Or she’s good at disseminating and hiding her emotions. She is a spy, after all.’ Daring exhaled slowly, “In hindsight…. I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” I ignored her apology, “What is the news, pony? Make it quick before I throw you out myself.” She cleared her throat, “The Parliament. I’ve learned from a friend that there’s a conspiracy brewing to remove the changelings from Equestria.” I raised an eyebrow, which she correctly took as a cue to continue. “The faction seems to be led by Marquess Deep Pockets, Duchess of Appleloosa. I haven’t learned how many support her…” ‘That is bad news. Still, it's something we suspected would happen, and it’s good to put a face to the threat. If this info can even be trusted, that is.’ By now, Celestia had arrived, along with Cadance, Twilight Sparkle, and Coxa. I risked a glance and saw that Luna and the rest of the changeling high command were too busy to back me up. Daring Do remained quiet as I relayed the news to the Princesses. “There,” I said. “The news has been delivered. Escort her out.” “Who is this?” Twilight asked. “She’s–” “Dr. Dazzle. An agent of S.M.I.L.E. and an archeologist of sorts,” Daring quickly answered. “Your Majesty, there’s one more thing I wanted to discuss. My application to stay in Nisir and research the ruins there was denied…” “Correct,” I smiled. “Guards, make sure she finds the door.” “Wait!” She yelled. “I’ve already laid the groundwork for the greatest discovery in centuries! That city is over ten millennia old, everypony’s going to be talking about it for decades to come! Not only would I lose the opportunity to study Nisir further, all my work–” “Get. Out.” Daring looked pleadingly to Celestia. “Don’t look at me,” Celestia told her. “I am merely a guest at this function. King Phasma is free to disallow specific ponies from entering as he wishes, just as the same can be done for any Equestrian city.” “But you cleared me of any wrongdoing!” Daring insisted. “You were pardoned of any suspicions from her,” I corrected her. “In the eyes of the Hive Eternal, you are barely short of being declared an enemy.” “But I was just helping you!” Daring blurted out. I bared my teeth at her, “My patience is limited, unlike my authority! If you don’t stop stalling and get out, I–” “King Phasma,” Twilight Sparkle interrupted, causing me to bristle and turn on the smaller unicorn. She shrunk down and took a step back before smiling nervously, “If Dr. Dazzle is correct, she’s the first pony to research the ancient changeling city. It would be a rather cruel disservice for all of her work to be thrown away…” Coxa shook his head, “Twilight Sparkle, Dr. Dazzle here was involved with Division-P in some way. She has refused to elaborate and explain, and is de-facto banned from setting hoof in any changeling land as a result.” “And now she is leaving,” I added. “Guards.” Twilight looked to her mentor for guidance. It was Cadance who actually provided it. “... Twilight, why don’t you walk with… Dr. Dazzle. The mare can tell you more about her situation, and you can argue on her behalf.” “Whatever,” I grunted. “I want two more squads to follow them and make sure she leaves.” The guards saluted as I stalked away. Coxa, after quickly motioning for two more Red Right Hoof detachments present to follow my order, caught up with me. Celestia mentioned something to Cadance involving a ‘friendship problem,’ and followed up back to the other side of the room. Cadance stuck with Twilight and left with them. “That info definitely could have waited,” Coxa said as we passed by changelings who turned back to their own conversations. “She clearly just wants to go back to Nisir,” I agreed. Celestia caught up to us three and walked by my side, “What she says is troubling, however. The Marquess is likely rallying all the southern Lords and Ladies to her banner.” “I don’t believe she was telling the truth,” I growled as we sidestepped a group of dancing drones. “Appleloosa was the first province to be hit by the invasion,” Celestia explained. “The entire South is a hotbed for anti-changeling movements.” “That’s true,” I sighed. “The cycle of revenge and all that. First the shipment was hit and the drone foalnapped, now this…” “I do have some good news,” Coxa announced. “The constitution is almost ready. It’ll definitely be ready before Lantern Night. We can have it signed as part of the celebration.” “Ah, yes, the constitution you are writing,” Celestia mumbled. “I forgot about that. It certainly sounds like an amazing idea, and a step– no, a leap in the right direction. It’ll certainly make Lantern Night more meaningful. In addition, I know many ponies will relax a lot more when they learn that their new changeling neighbors have… how do I put it? Modernized?” “Mhmm, codifying hu– changeling rights, and all that,” I said. “We’ll need to work hard to make sure ponies trust changelings. Not that this is to appease ponies, that’s just a nice bonus.” “So Phasma,” Celestia began, “why don’t you tell me more about this Order that we’re celebrating?” “The original plan was to group up the most reliable and supportive soldiers and give them the rank of commissar,” I explained. “Then I realized: why attach something with so much negativity to the role? Why not make them chaplains instead? That way, instead of being associated with executions and firing squads, they’re more of a morally supportive role.” Celestia frowned, “Commissars? I’ve heard of them, but they never executed ponies before. Or rather, elk. The grimness of defending their snow-buried borders necessitated a heavy hoof, I heard. Not that the elks’ kingdom is still around, mind you. Discord did away with that.” As we sat back down and tried to resume where we left off, several nymphs detached themselves from Luna to huddle in front of my seat at our table. “My King!” One said with a wide smile, hopping up and down. “Queen Luna said we can go visit the ponies on the surface! I wanna see Canterlot!” A chorus of ‘yeahs’ and ‘uh huhs’ echoed from the rest of the miniature drones. I smiled outwardly but glared at Luna, who gave me a smirk and a wave. ‘Yeah, might as well throw them to the wolves while we’re at it! The security risks alone might give me an aneurysm! But maybe, with enough guards, we can give them a few field trips… I guess I have to see Thorax again. Hopefully, he’s willing to talk with me.’ “I’ll look into it,” I told the hopping nymph. “He said yes!” He cheered. “I said I’ll–” “We’re going outside!” A second yelled. I groaned, and instead of addressing the growing warcry of ‘we’re going outside,’ I announced, “Alright, little ones. Why don’t you all go back to Queen Luna and ask when she plans on laying the next clutch of eggs?” “Aren’t eggs laid by many changelings?” The first nymph asked. “Aren’t nymphs supposed to struggle with two-syllable words?” I groaned. “I’m the King, and the King says Queen Luna lays all the eggs. Don’t you want more nymphs to play with?” The kids took a moment to digest the information. After sharing a few looks with each other, they hopped back over to Luna. “More nymphs! More nymphs!” They cheered. I casually sipped from my drink as I eavesdropped on Luna’s conversation with the Nymphs. It didn’t take long to get the reaction I wanted. “What?!” Luna yelled. “I do not lay eggs! No, it– oh! You are mistaken, little ones. It is the King who lays all the eggs. Go ask Phasma when he plans on laying the next clutch!” “Turnabout is fair play,” I muttered into my cup.