//------------------------------// // The Hive // Story: Duty to the Queen // by Handsome Shadow //------------------------------//         Darkness.         A Changeling hive is usually buried deep beneath the ground, all the better to hide from the prying eyes of ponies. This does present the problem of a lack of sustenance, seeing as we feed on the love of Ponies. But the hive safety is paramount, we must never jeopardize the hive. The Queen’s will is absolute.         Right? ***         I’m Klik, Seeker drone for the Equestrian swarm. Not the only one, not by far, but I was bred for a sole purpose.         As an extension of the Queen’s will.         The Hive is telepathically linked, information can be spread amongst every member of the swarm for any purpose, and any member can see through you. It wasn’t an invasion of privacy, there was only the hive. However, the link has a range limit, so each drone has to bounce the frequency to reach the recipient. Any drone outside the frequency range is essentially blind to the Hivemind.         This is why I was bred, to act as a lieutenant for the Queen, to lead other Seeker Drones to find sustenance the Hive so desperately needs. We find suitable ponies to be fed off of, detached enough from society to never be missed, and bring them underground. With the proper application of Changeling venom, they will believe us kin, lovers, friends, and we can feed.         That only lasts so long though, a pony will only last a few weeks before building an immunity to the venom, then they become biomass to breed more drones. Our duty is the lifeblood of the Hive. ***         The sky was blooming with the first hints of sunset, I was set to work tucking the leftover assortment of grapes and wines into my saddlebags to be preserved and sold the next day. A call disrupted my concentration. “Sky Dancer! Hold up a minute!” The voice called. I craned my head to see the olive mare galloping past several kiosks whose owners were busy with a similar task to my own.                 “How can I help you?” I asked without a pause in my work. “Surely nothing so urgent as to come galloping down so fast?”         “It’s a message, I wanted to get it to you before you left for the barn.” She handed me a sealed envelope, the hardened wax bore the mark of a half moon, half sun diagram. The Equestrian Royalty? Don’t trust her, don’t trust them. The voice was strong, I glanced to the side, meeting the eyes of a strong maroon buck. His eye met mine for a second before he grunted and set off pulling his cart.         “Thank you for your expediency Glimmer. Care for a bundle of grapes?” The last wrapped bundle of the green fruit was balanced on my wing.         “No thank you, a job well done is it’s own reward!” She gushed, setting off again the direction she came at a canter. With a shrug, I broke the wax seal with a wing and lay it out on my stand to read. Sky Dancer,         By invite of Equestrian Royalty, you are cordially invited to attend this year’s Gala as one of many providers of refreshment from all around Equestria. This offer is accompanied by full compensation of transportation fees and a substantial payment for your services. If you are unable to attend, please inform the Gala caters of your decision. Thank you for the services you provide to all of Equestria. More information will be included in the attached memo.                                                                 -The Equestrian Royal Family         I nearly fell over, my emotions slipped through the link, confusing the Changelings that received them. Why would I be invited to the Gala? I’ve only been a plant here for a few months! Is it possible I could have been tracked by the authorities? Could the Hive be in danger? The thoughts lingered in my mind as I swept the letter into my saddlebags and started the long walk to the farm. It technically wasn’t mine, but the owners were “displaced” to the Hive under pretenses of retirement. The farm was purchased for a modest sum and my drones have worked the fields, using the business as a cover to mask our infiltration. It’s been one of the more lucrative harvest areas the Queen has authorized. My concerns were sent through the link to the Changelings under my command. Any good leader values their follower’s insight. Thoughts buzzed back. Ponies are always finding us. Ponies Can’t know it’s us. Our cover will be broken. The opportunity for harvest would be great.         Each thought blitzed through my mind, with it a mix of emotions that leak through. Anger, suspicion, paranoia. But most of all, anticipation. A matter this grave would require the personal touch of the Queen. ***         I sent a few of my drones east to establish a chain to communicate with the Queen the next day under the pretence that they were visiting family. The link was established within a few hours of their departure.         “My Queen”         “I would assume the matter is most dire to risk your position so, Klik, I will not tolerate failure in MY swarm.”         “The news is most urgent, but so is the potential reward. I have been contacted and invited to the Gala, the largest gathering of ponies in the year. While I have my suspicions, with your word, my drones will feed the swarm for years to come.” My thoughts oozed with glee and I swelled with pride to offer this service to my Queen.         “This opportunity does not come without risk, you may jeopardize our position in Hollow Shades. I would not so carelessly throw away such a valuable tool” The pride I felt in the compliment overshadowed any feelings at the word ‘tool’ after all, there is only the swarm.         “My Queen, I ask for your blessing to continue on to the Gala. I fear our position may be suspected if I refuse, and if that comes to pass, we will be left with nothing”         “Very well, but we cannot risk stealing away ponies from such a large gathering. I will breed for this ‘Gala’ special drones to discreetly absorb the affection there and store it for use by the swarm. This may indeed prove a valuable opportunity. You will oversee this. Do not fail me” The threat was not lost on me. the connection was broken as the drones made their way back west.         I pulled the memo from the envelope. Details of location and time, amount and type of goods required, a list of prominent attendees- Celestia, Luna, the Bearers of Harmony, Prince Blueblood, Photo Finish, Octavia, among others -and in the envelope was a single golden disk no bigger than a clam. Etched into it were the words ‘Gala’ and ‘invitation’ in a silver filigree.         Retreating to my windowless bedroom, top floor of the small home near the farm, I shed my pegasus disguise of Sky Dancer. In the room was a body mirror, one that I used to practice that particular form. I stood in front of it and examined myself. The sleek black chitinous plates were fading from the sky blue of my previous form to a pitch black. along my sides were tucked in gossamer wings, a layer of ablative protection concealing them. My fangs shone in the light of the room and my curved black horn dripped a grisly green residue from the recent use of magic. my compound eyes lingered on the holes that adorned my legs, a hallmark of any changeling. Unique to myself, my plates were covered with thin Green lines where the plates were cracked and healed over from numerous fights that I couldn’t run from.         After several moments of adjusting back into my own body, my thoughts lingered back to the Gala. There would be a great deal of work in the next few months, but also work to keep the hive fed in the meantime. And above all, staying incognito, I won’t waste the lives of my drones to reckless abandon.         Checking the door a third time to make sure it’s locked I stepped over to bed. It’s a risk, but even the Queen couldn’t keep a disguise up overnight as well as day. My wings slid behind my armor, I tucked into the wooly mattress. I quickly sent out the order to wake me at dawn. There was a lot of work to do.