//------------------------------// // Hotel Aurora // Story: General Winter // by SONBoomer //------------------------------// Отель Аврора was another example of Stalliongrad's unique architectural features. Ponies' first impression when they saw it was usually something along the lines of: "I did't know boxes could do that!". And indeed, while the main building gave the impression of a large box (standing on a rather futuristic pedestal that served as the ground floor), it also curved forming something between an 'L' and a 'U' shape. It reminded some to the 'ˇ' accent, used in certain northern languages. An elevated roof section that overshadowed the inside of the curve (made to resemble the slanted 'claw' part of a hammer) gave the building a sense of inexplicable elegance. It was hard to believe that this was it came from the same designers that built the garish and megalomaniacal steel-inkas, the rickety and übercompact Hrustshhevkas (often considered to be the best michurinian experiment at crossing the floor with the ceiling), the cloning-suspected брежневкаs (brezhnevkas), that often became uninhabitable, due to the chemicals in the insulation triggering and accelerating the sudden corrosion of the framework (said chemical reactions also emitted invisible vapors that made the inhabitants suffer from delirium, hence the name). Decorated with black marble, and with the entrance resembling the front of a battleship (the namesake of the hotel, of course), and the symbol of the Union's Navy - an anchor-shape composed of a horseshoe, a mast with a telescope laid horizontally across it, topping it off with the well-known star. They said it was big enough for five. They didn't said you had to pay for all five of them, in installments. But yes, anyone could sleep and dine in Hotel Aurora. What was one the plate and in the bed stuffing was another question. The elevator hummed to a stop, and with a gentle twinkle, the doors opened. "Floor number 10. We're here." Spike announced. "You enjoy being the lift colt, don't you?" Twilight asked, smirking. "Hey, I get to pull the lever - you don't!" the drake replied, stepping out of the cabin. Red drapery covered the walls and the ceiling, with a dark green carpet hiding the wooden tiles of the floor, decorated with intricate markings and shapes, teetering on the definable edge of equineledian geometry. The carped then proceeded to climb the walls, to door-handle level. The stiles were decorated with shiny brass - gold was too expensive to be used as decoration - the electronics industry needed it. In fact, a vast majority of materials didn't had the same value as it did anywhere else in the world. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other gems were utilized in science. Gold, silver, platinum and other rare metals were plentiful within the region, but were mostly used in technology, rather than as jewelry. "OK. I've booked two rooms, each with a single, large bed." Sunset explained "And don't give me that look, this was the most efficient setup I could get." "Yes, well, please remind us never to let you manage our budget again." Trixie muttered with a considerable blush. "Well, EXCUSE ME for not spending it all on the first day!" Sunset hissed. "Hey, at least you two got a taste of real life, and some business experience!" "Yeah, SURE... Delivery jobs, sandwichmares, ticket inspectors, and oh, what else?" the fiery mare paused and touched her chin, as if pondering "Ah, yes... YOU SUGGESTED WE TRY TO SELL OUR BODIES FOR "SERVICE"!" "H-Hey, not so loud!" Trixie stuttered, nervously glancing around "It was just a joke, you firebomb! Cool down!" "I. HATE. Cold." the orange unicorn growled, ironically coldly. "Girls..." Twilight's quiet voice was surprising enough to stop their bickering. They looked up. Down the hall, one of the doors opened. There was the sound of something just a bit softer than hooves, stepping on the thinned floor carpet. A tiny head popped out from behind the door. Deep blue eyes with indistinguishable irises and pupils stared at them, before it disappeared behind the pinewood frame. Happy chirping followed that, and a faint voice, chuckling. "See? I told you, those three are always arguing!" They all recognized the voice... Apart from Spike. "Who is that?" "An old friend." Twilight replied, trotting towards the door. Trixie followed suit, a look of humble happiness displayed on her face. Even Sunset seemed to be at ease. The dragonling soon joined them. "So, who is this guy...?" "Girl, Spike." Trixie corrected him "And she's not just ONE mare..." "She's a queen..." Twilight added. The room they entered was small, but well furnished: fluffy carpets, an old wardrobe, and a canopy bed. A door leading to the bathroom on the other side. On the bed laid a large pony... Bug... Thing... "Who... Is THAT?" "Spike, it's impolite to point at ponies!" The being chuckled. "It's alright. It was a very long time since he had seen me. Heck, he wasn't even hatched yet." the being then sighed "Besides, I'm not a pony." "Oh, right..." Trixie whispered, stepping forward. "Spike. I'd like you to meet her majesty, Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings!" Needless to say, the young drake was flabbergasted. "Queen Chrys... Changelin... WHUAT?!" he cried out "And how do you...?!" "Know you?" the Queen asked, finishing his sentence "I was the one who hid you when you were in your most vulnerable state." "...My most vulnerable state?" Spike muttered "What do you...? Twilight, what does she mean?" "Well, you see..." the mare began, awkwardly... The land, or rather, wasteland where the Queen's main hive had resided in was once inhabited by a clan of dragons, the most impressive among all, and also, the most intelligent. They were the ones who first made peace with the other races, and gave up their scavengering lifestyle to settle down. They began hoarding knowledge instead of wisdom, and became less savage. Unfortunately, in the draconic world, less savage practically equals to "demilitarized". A group of smaller, rogue clans united, and brought down the mighty Dragon Empire in blood and flames. Afterwards, they turned against one another, until they promptly wiped each other out - some of them managed to grab hold of a bunch of documents detailing new spells and elixirs that granted a dragon's flame special abilities. The latter also worked as refreshment for dragons - later known as the drug 'Drakon' - it covered the user in scales and made them belch fire, cough up smoke and sneeze acid, after prolonged usage. Addicts could actually tap into the powers that were only granted for dragons. But then again, addicts had a life expectancy of 3 years, as the tonic made them rot from the inside. Strangely enough, it left the liver and kidneys in a perfectly good shape. When the changeling tribes discovered the ash-laid fields and the caverns burned and clawed out by the long-gone warring beasts, they decided to settle there. The constant fights scarred the landscape and killed it's climate, creating a never-ending mish-mash of night and day with a rain of stars shining through the smoke-smothered sky - it all made perfect sense and a perfect home for the insectine beings. But as they laid the foundation of the new hive, they found a sole, purple egg. It was that of a dragons, but purple and with green spots - unarguably caused by the tonic. The Queen decided to take care of the egg. Why? She couldn't tell. She reasoned that a dragon would provide a great source of protection for the hive, then again, they didn't had the resources to nurture a drake. Still, she did her best to keep the egg warm, whilst making her plans. Grand schemes to gather all the love for the tribes that united under her guidance. Their first, and also last attack on Equestria was fruitless - revealed by an escaped Princess Cadence, who's love had temporarily turned into hatred so intense that no changeling could've been able to survive it - her rampage didn't stop with the release of her soon-to-be husband. Having sworn to protect her subjects, the Queen stood before her, collecting the pure hatred that she was blasted with. For a being that lives on love, ingesting hatred is pure poison. But she stood, and stood strong, as Shining Armor pleaded his fiancé to stop. Draining her dry of her dark emotions. As she was at her peak, whilst the alicorn finally collapsed in exhaustion, her biology made a shift. Her chitin, her eyes, and even her hair that usual shone in that sickly green that came naturally to her race - it all changed into a burning red. The power within her awoke, and nothing could stop it. Nopony could stop her. Blasting through twenty, meter-wide walls with a single blast, she found herself facing the three Princesses, and their respective students. Guards charged at her. She knocked the wind out of them. Two of the three alicorns attempted to use magic. She deflected it, which nearly killed them all. Her own subjects stood out of her way, fearing their lives - the lives they've sworn to her. She wasn't herself, and something in the back of her mind was pleading, begging and crying to make her stop. Then, one filly stood before her. Light orange, with a flame-like mane and tail, and turquoise eyes staring defiantly at the heaving monarch. But in her forehooves, she held something. "I believe..." she announced, her voice cracking a bit, but she straightened herself "I believe this belongs to you..." And she gave back the egg. Up until that moment, the Queen remembered what she was doing, before she rushed to save her soldiers from the rampaging Cadence: Frantically searching for the egg. That was what gave her the ability to take control of the hateful emotions she consumed. Like steam being released from a pot, the dark energies evaporated from around and within her, letting herself return to her normal state. With a sigh, she held her egg close, and uttered: "Thank you." She then explained it all: The changelings were on the verge of extinction. That was what united the tribes. Chrysalis knew how to take care of them, so she became their queen. She knew of the land of Equestria, and all the love the ponies harbored. Love they would never share with beings such as them - among the "less social" intelligent beings, ponies gained a notoriety for being xenophobic and emotionally unstable. It also didn't helped that the changelings never heard of diplomacy. The battles ended. The invasion was over. They didn't won. Nor did they fail. They found a new home, and new companions among the ponies instead. "...And for that reason, she gave us the egg. Not loon afterwards, I made hatched you with my magic..." Twilight added, ignoring the painful facts that came with that feat "That's how I gained my cutie mark." "Whilst Sunset gained hers after she gave me the egg. She had the talents of Princess Luna, and the sheer force of Princess Opscura, but, until then, she didn't understood the compassion Princess Celestia felt for her subjects. And I assume this also worked in favor with her relationship with Opscura." Sunset looked away. "During her research, she also managed to track down the origins of the changeling race..." the Queen continued, her voice growing cold "A revelation came, regarding everypony's favorite magical mastermind." "What revelation? And who is this magical mastermind you speak of?" Spike asked. Now Twilight looked away, as Sunset spoke up: "Starswirl." she hissed "As much of a revolutionary spellcrafter he was, he was also an unscrupulous bastard, especially when it came to testing his new spells. He tested one on an ancient, flourishing oriental empire, known as the Firefly State. They were the first ones, in history, to ever use an organized army, but once their empire was established, they disbanded their army, bar the necessary border patrol. Scriptures from that time reveal them to be the first ones to use adeptian magic as well. Specifically, morphing spells. Their land was small, but enough for them, nested in between tall mountains on an upper plane - understandable, given their isolationist, hermit-like nature. Many ponies at that time considered it a wander that they managed to even socialize to the point of joining forces. 'Elven horses' - as they were called at the time - were known for two things: their beauty, and their absolute solitude..." "Hard to believe it these days, I know..." Chrysalis sighed with a sad smile. Her body looked like an odd cross between an alicorn, a dragon and an insect, like a firefly or wasp. Her horn was jagged, her face reminded Spike of the military-issue gas masks he once saw in a shop window: muzzle-like, but with more angles an edges than curves - yet, there was a certain beauty to it, that Spike, in his young age, couldn't really grasp. She had big eyes, in the same shape of an average pony's. Dull green chitin covered the Queen's stomach and abdomen, hiding the slightly more sensitive skin of her belly, fusing into a strong, but flexible shell on her back, where her wings (again, a mixture of dragon and insectoid wings) protruded from - two pairs, to be exact. "It used to be worse." she explained "Changelings used to have holes all over their limbs, wings and even their crest and tail. Her crest and tail was film-like, and hung down like heavy drapery, but once they was propped by the mattress or her body, they behaved like velvet. Her legs were also covered with chitin, but black one that matched the rest of her body, and instead of round hooves, they ended in clawed ones, The structure of her body was similar to that of a pony's but more lean, almost haggardish, But, presently, no holes. "So..." Spike was lost for words... "I looked after you as an egg." the Queen said, in a matter-of-factly way "I don't really know why I did it." she then smiled "Well, I didn't know, until... They came into my life..." "They? Who are they?" The answer came in the form of chirps... From behind the Queen's body, two small creatures crawled forward. It took the dragon exactly five seconds to comprehend what he was seeing... The others needed less than five... "AaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHH they're ADORABLE!" with that ear-piercing squeal, Trixie rushed forward, almost pouncing the bed. The wee changelings stared at her with an amazed (and amused) look. They resembled pony foals, covered in the same black chitin as their mother, but softer, due to their young age. Spike stared, bemused at the three little foals. They were different from both the changeling drones, and the pony foals he had seen before. For once, their sclera was already visible, while, oddly enough, it seemed that they haven't developed irises yet, leaving them with ebony eyes. The chitin armor on two of the was rather bulky, with lots of unnecessary protrusions. The third one was lithe compared to them, and it's eyes were larger as well. Unlike the other two, it already had a tail and mane, if film-like. "So... One Princess and two..." "Princes." the Queen nodded "With the cure you've made us, we're now able to reproduce as normal equines - as we once did." "Soooo, no more hive-life?" Twilight asked, trying to sound as polite as she could, and failing miserably in the process. Thankfully, the Queen didn't seem to mind, otherwise, this could've turned into a very nasty diplomatic incident. "Yes, indeed..." she paused for a moment "Was it you, Beatrix, who made made that potion?" "Beatrix?" Spike asked, giving Trixie a questionable look. "It's my name, what of it?!" the mare snapped "And yes, it was me." "Thanks to you, our race could finally re-assume it's original life and fate. We are no longer parasites..." "Well, if you're as great and powerful as me..." Trixie was cut of when a hoof found it's way into her mouth. "She has enough limelight." Sunset sighed, before changing his tone to a softer one "Did you came for the Winter Festival as well?" "Of course!" Chrysalis replied "I heard that you will be overseeing the preparations." "...More like just... Checking on them, actually." Twilight admitted "We have no authority, so we can only offer suggestions. We'll see if things are running smoothly, and show a hoof if necessary." "Good." said the Queen, cheerily "Were you given any particular program scheme, or were you thrown into the fire, just like..." she had to stifle a chuckle "...Your trip to Transnestria..." "Please, don't remind us..." the three mares groaned in unison. As they laid in bed, Spike couldn't help but to turn to his stepsister. "Twilight? You asleep?" "Not anymore..." the unicorn groaned. "I was thinking about the Queen..." "And?" "Isn't she technically my step-mother? I mean, you are my step-sister, and if she was my stepmother... Wouldn't that make her foals my step-siblings as well?" "Huh? Well, yeah, now that you mention it, that does make sense..." "And then, following the same logic, wouldn't that make the Queen's foals your step-siblings as well?" "...Go to sleep, Spike."