Changeling queens are somewhat of an oddity in Equestria. They subsist entirely off of the love taken from others and they will take it from anyone and anywhere they can find it. Anypony whom has heard of changelings at all is quite familiar with their method of feeding. In fact, this is all that is really known of the changeling species as a whole. Every other bit of knowledge about them is just speculation based on frightened mutterings.
One thought that is hardly given the time of day is exactly what it is to be a changeling queen, beyond the obvious title. Yes, they are just that; queens, but they are far more than only that. They are mothers to each and every one of the soldiers within their hive. Like all other mothers, they love their children greatly and without condition. While this motherly love is of the strongest known to ponykind, it is also the changeling queens' greatest weakness and greatest curse. Queens freely give this love to their children, knowing full well that it will never be reciprocated by them. Perhaps that is why they so eagerly feed off of the love of others?
Contrary to popular belief, changeling soldiers are not mindless drones. They are quite capable of emotion; loyalty, anger, fear, and vengeance. There are, however, emotions they were just not meant to understand. Concepts such as love or the mourning of passing carry as much meaning to the average soldier as they would to a rock.
Such is the curse of the changeling queens. To feel all of that which her children cannot.
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Just as the cities of Equestria had been given boundaries at the time of their creation, so too have the territories of those changelings queens that dwell within the region. With the inception of these territories comes the necessity to preserve their borders against those who would contest them. Given the extremely competitve nature of changeling queens, these contests are almost constant. Casualties are nothing, if not inevitable.
The upkeep of these borders is a demanding task. Thus, it is relegated to those members of the hive that Queen Chrysalis deems most capable. Today's group was small, consisting of four soldiers: Sylph, Kytin, Vetan, and Reiten. Accompanying them as the head of the party was the hive's second in command, Centurion Calyn. The group was chosen as a compromise between traveling speed and combat ability.
At the time, Queen Chrysalis' territory was the largest in Equestria, running up against that of each of the other queens. Of these, the most serious threat came from Queen Miasma's territory to the east. It was for this reason that Calyn and his party were sent to tend to this border.
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"Stay low to the ground." Calyn ordered. "Move quickly. Move quietly. Her Majesty has ordered us to the eastern border. Miasma's activity has been increasing as of late. Their filth is undoubtedly nearby. To carry the element of surprise with us is to assure our victory."
"Is that permission to slaughter any intruders we may come across?" Kytin asked, fangs bared in a snarl of anticipation.
"Easy, Kytin. This is a scouting mission. Preserving the security of Her Majesty's borders is our priority above all else." the centurion corrected. "But, yes, it is." he added quickly.
Kytin's snarl grew into an equally dark smile as his elytra twitched excitedly.
"Maintain a tight formation. The smaller our trail is, the better. Sylph, stay at the back. You have the sharpest ears among us. Alert us to any attacks from behind."
The changeling nodded. "Affirmative."
"Then let us move."
The border of Queen Chrysalis' territory was not marked by any sort of physical landmark. Rather, the territory was designated by pheromone trails and maintained through the efforts of scouting parties assigned to them. The soldiers on duty were well aware of the path they needed to follow. In the reinforcement of these borders, the group lays down not only the scent of their mother hive, but their own unique pheromones as well. When changeling hives can reach upwards of two thousand members, these unique scents are a necessity for the queen to identify her children. When engaging in a stealth mission however, to be so easily distinguished is extremely counter-productive. All changelings are therefore trained in magics to disguise these pheromones.
As per his superior's orders, Sylph remained at the rear of his party. His head was mounted on a swivel, moving constantly. Every one of his senses was on high alert, but of particular focus was listening for any sounds not part of the usual forest ambiance. Any intruders within the area would most likely be hiding their scents for the same reason Sylph's party was hiding theirs.
Even with Sylph's vigilance, fate had chosen today to completely trump him. With no signal at all, six changelings dropped from the trees onto the four passing beneath. Changelings marked with deep purple eyes and elytra. Miasma changelings.
From within the maelstrom writhing before him, Sylph made out one voice. "Sylph! Quickly! Return to the hive!"
Soldiers disobeying orders from a centurion is extremely unheard of, but Sylph had made up his mind. He flared his wings and dove into the melee. He fell onto the Miasma changeling currently besetting Calyn. His fangs went straight into the enemy's neck, their sharp points instantly breaking his jet-black exoskeleton. A quick toss of the soldier's head ripped the assailant from his centurion. Sylph's hold on the enemy was broken only after he was sure the killing bite had done its job.
Before he could turn from his defeated adversary, the scalding blaze of magic gone offensive exploded against the back of the Chrysalis soldier. Facing the source of the attack presented Sylph with the deceased body of his hivemate and the Miasma soldier standing over the fresh corpse, a wisp of magenta smoke rising from his horn and Reiten's blood dripping from his fangs.
A red mist rose behind Sylph's eyes. His wings whipped themselves into a mad frenzy, launching him towards the guilty soldier with all the speed of a charging Ursa Major. "I'll tear your damned head off!"
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A queen is not referred to as such without inheriting the duties that go along with the title. Of these, the most important duty of a changeling matriarch is the care of all of her children. Even those that still have yet to be born.
"Talinh, are there any complications with the newest clutch?"
"None, your Majesty. All that is required is whatever nectar you wish to supply."
"Excellent news." Chrysalis began her trip around the hatching chamber, her emerald eyes carefully scrutinizing each translucent green orb. Each new life. Those eggs that she deemed undernourished were supplied with a fresh dose of nectar secreted from the holes in her legs.
The changeling queen was hardly halfway through tending to her clutch before being interrupted by a commotion arising from without the hatching chamber.
"Your Majesty! Please!"
"You must hurry!"
The urgency within the voices of her children immediately devoted Chrysalis' full attention to them whereupon she could very plainly see the results of the ambush upon their tired bodies. "Kytin? Vetan? What is the reason for your return? You were assigned to the eastern borders as part of Calyn's party."
"It is Miasma's soldiers, your Majesty! They set up an ambush and we stepped right into it!"
Anger wasted no time in rising before the queen's eyes, but was just as quickly replaced with a look of fear. "What of Calyn, Sylph and Reiten?"
"Reiten was the first to fall. Calyn called for Sylph to retreat but he disobeyed and threw himself at the enemy. It was the only reason that Vetan and I escaped as we did."
There were no further questions. Chrysalis broke into a full gallop and had left her hive in a matter of seconds. Instinct guided her hooves along the path laid down by the two returning soldiers. The terror that drove her charge was not for what might have happened to her borders but rather of what she would find, or not find, when she arrived. Damn you, Miasma! If you have taken my centurion from me, I swear, I will not rest until I take the same from you!
The changeling queen ground to a halt as a bitter stench burned the roof of her mouth. Calyn's fear pheromones... Centurions were conditioned to resist fear to maintain a sharp mind on the field of combat. Even so, training or not, every creature has at least one moment in their life where fear will take hold. "No..." Slowly, as if in a trance, the queen's hooves began moving once more, her pace growing faster with each thought that passed. "No, no, NO!"
Stronger and stronger the pheromones became, mixing with scents alien to her territory. There was no mistaking it, Miasma soldiers had been here. When her eyes finally fell upon the site of the ambush, Chrysalis discovered that some of these soldiers were still here. Three of the enemy changelings lay dead upon the forest floor, surrounded by arcane scorch marks and riddled with wounds of both fang and horn.
Not surprisingly, Chrysalis was hardly interested in the Miasma changelings but rather the two of her own laying still amidst the ruin. "Calyn! Sylph!" In less than an instant, the queen was crouched at their side. The sight before her made her sick, yet she possessed no will to look away. Green blood oozed from the countless gashes and stabs upon them to collect in a small puddle beneath their unmoving bodies. Sylph had collapsed in a heap upon the lifeless body of his centurion. Even in Calyn's defeat, his soldier had remained loyal, defending him to the end, waiting for help that he could not possibly have predicted was coming.
Hot tears welled within the queen's eyes and she bowed her head. "M-my children... I should have been swifter..." A furious snarl slid across Chrysalis' mouth. "Damn you, Miasma! You would be so cruel to take my centurion from me!? No matter how long it takes, I will see that you know the same pain!" Spouting vitriolic promises to the sky accomplishes little and Chrysalis' teary gaze soon returned to her two children before her. "Calyn... Sylph..." Through a great deal of willpower, she forced her eyes shut, spilling the tears within onto the blood-stained ground. "Forgive me..."
A sound no greater than air escaping from the tiniest possible crack reached the queen's ears. "Hehhhhhh..."
Her eyes flew open to stare intently at the bodies of her two children, praying that she could catch some sort of movement that would explain the noise she had just heard. Before she could spot any movement of the sort, a ragged cough passed her ears.
Sylph's damaged body convulsed with his cough, projecting a coarse spray of blood from his mouth. His eyelids fluttered once before opening to look up at his queen. A weak smile crossed his lips at the sight of her.
A wave of relief crashed heavily upon the changeling queen, leaving in its wake the warmth of pure happiness. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes without a thought given to those who might see. She lightly touched her forehead to that of her child. "Don't you ever disobey your orders again..."
"N-no promises..." he gasped.