"I'll see you tomorrow, honey," the mare said.
"I'll think of you all the time at work," Was my response as I kissed my beloved delicately, and delighted myself in the last delicious hints of devotion I'd taste of her for the day.
Exit stage left; gone with Golly Whiskers, loving earth pony and travelling veterinary extraordinaire, a mask discarded in the solitude of a poorly-lit alley; then, a little touch of my personal magic, and in went Razzle Dazzle, elegant walk and flowing hair; gorgeous, proud, tall unicorn mare, ready to walk the crowded streets of Manehatten and soak up admiration and worshipping form the passer-bys.
Such, and much more, mas my life now -- the life of a lucky drone who found herself lost without a queen, tried in blind panic and empty hope to try and continue doing what she'd been doing all this time, infiltrate society and gather social and military intelligence, only to try and send reports that would not be answered again, and felling a weight gradually lift off her shoulders when she wasn't hearing the commanding voice of her supreme Queen anymore, dictating orders and expecting compliance...
It was freedom, she thought. Something that she was only beginning to truly absorb in concept from the multitude of ponies surrounding her, but one that she was trying to enjoy as much as possible.
That, and the sensation of all the love that the exhilarated ponies in the boulevards were throwing at her, that she could keep to herself as much as she wanted and let linger in her tissues and muscles and feel it flow in gentle, warm currents all through her body and flushing her face and horn with what she could only call pleasure...
She had, with time, forgotten any and all pretences of finding back the swarm and rejoining them, reforming the connection with the new queen, and resuming all that talk of war..
Why talk war when she could enjoy love all day.
Month after month, she had grown into the lifestyle, and now she wanted more. The most important pony saying she had heard was "Distance makes the heart grow fonder," and she used this to great effect: stay away for work ta make mares' hearts ache for your return, and smother you in love when you reunite.
Dole out your shows and public shows, do not let your fame dilute into boredom and staleness; instead, tantalize your fans, tease them, make your few appearances all the more precious.
She found it was easy for her to never overstay your welcome, when she could just up and assume a new pony identity to start over with literally anypony in the city. No chains to a dimmed love affair. No big deals with public scandals. No consequences. No worries.
Freedom.
It was such a beautiful concept. She wondered if she could actually love it, as much as these fans around her were adulating her persona, drooling for an autograph, a suggestion, a recommendation.
She wondered if the streams of love running through her body would actually keep her alive and healthy indefinitely.
She wondered if all this plenty would trigger in her a transformation into a new, powerful queen.
There was much she hadn't been thought about herself back in her swarm days; much of it had been either deemed unnecessary, or outright dangerous to the integrity of the colony.
How ironic then that the most of herself, she would learn amidst a sea of aliens; wonderful, plentiful creatures of love and magic.
She considered if she should whisper to one of her fans about a most titillating secret, an announcement of a future fashion show she would show up in, just for that extra taste of privileged ecstasy.
She wondered if maybe she could write something about her life at some point. She could surely would have appreciated if some other had explained all this to her before venturing face-first into pony civilization.
She briefly considered at what time she should show up, as Emerald Smiles, and wearing what, for her nightly affair.