//------------------------------// // Chapter 2. // Story: The Zerging of Equestria // by Runa //------------------------------// Info: Purple - Dahaka Green - Prime Directive Red - Chrysalis Brown - Ascendants Colors are only used in mental communication. Ascendants are changelings that have gained sentience. Ratio of Ascendants to normal changelings: 1 Ascendant for every 483 changelings. Chrysalis is a Higherarc, also known as a queen. There can only be one Higherarc in a hive at a time. Higharc's, also known as princess's, are exempt from the 'Only One' rule. Normal changelings, a.k.a. drones, are as smart as ants. When I was nearly to the Badlands I felt the Changeling Hivemind. It felt weaker than it should be, a lot weaker. I stopped walking as I started to force myself into it. It did not act like a ball of steel as it had when I first taken them over. Instead It now felt like a wet ball of paper. This made it relatively easy for me to take as my own. As it tore, however, a mental message simply said “Please stop.” So I jabbed back, “Who is this?” And the voice replied, “Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings. And this is my hive.” “Interesting, how did you take control?” “I arose from my people’s need for a leader. But who are you?” “I am Dahaka, the Overmind of the Zerg.” I felt her recoil at the name “So I see that your kind remember me.” “You were the worst thing to happen to the Changelings. YOU and your swarm are the reason we are reviled.“ “I also remember that under me, the Changelings had love aplenty.” “But we also were not free.” “All you need to know is that I have changed for the better.” “That is as likely as the sun going dark.” Then I put my feelings and intentions in front of her mental projection. Doing this was akin to taking a picture of a piece of my mind and showing it to her. “Ah, I am not outside. Could you tell me if the sun is still there?” “Indeed it is. But I am glad to see that the swarm has not wandered directionless for all this time. I would like to offer a treaty to you.” “What kind of treaty?” She asked, suspicious. “Let the Swarm regain some of its strength at your hive, and I will help you when you are at your weakest in turn.” She hesitated for a moment, but then she said in a resigned tone, “I accept.” “Wonderful.” Chrysalis POV Despite his intentions and feelings, I felt like I had just made a deal with the Devil. This was the being that was reviled by generations of Changelings and had made a permanent mark on the hive mind forever. But he seemed like a good person now. It was hard not to trust him. “Not like me, then,” I thought. I had probably made the deal because of the plan to save our people from extinction that might fail. I sequestered thoughts of defeat and fear away. I had to seem strong in front of my subjects, after all. “My queen,” said one of my Ascendants, named Sonur. “Are you sure that this is wise?” “This is a risk, but it does add a contingency plan, just in case.” “Very well, you know best,” Sonur said in a slightly disapproving tone. “Now then, let’s get things ready for our guest.” “Yes, my queen.” Dahaka POV "You should have taken them and forced Chrysalis to submit to our will," commented Prime Directive. "Unlike you, I care about something other than the Swarm," I said with metaphorically gritted teeth. It had been going on about why we should have taken them for minions once again. "That makes you weak. Emotions make you weak." "Emotions are why I am still human." "I still do not understand the concept. You are a Zerg." It seemed that with anything unrelated to the Swarm or its survival, Prime Directive was totally ignorant. "You probably cannot understand. Being a Zerg limits you in that fashion." "I do not need to understand. All I need to know is how to grow the swarm. And you are a Zerg, you just need to submit." "I will never submit to-" then I spotted a sumo sized changeling drone "It looks like our guide is here" "TAKE IT! TAKE THEIR SWARM! MAKE THEM-" I drowned it out by Playing this song in my head at full volume. I walked up to the Changeling and said one of the oldest clichés of all time, "Take me to your leader.” It was fun flying on a changelings back for a little while, but eventually it just got boring. And it just got plain annoying when Prime Directive just continued to scream at me. Fortunately for me, I had even more music to wait it out. But eventually I say the tunnel opening. "About time," I thought as the drone landed next to the opening. I then got off of the changeling, and started walking into the dark, dank, tunnel. "Feels like home," I thought dryly. Prime Directive started to reach incredible levels of loudness. So I did something to it that it had done to me once, I squished it in the corner of my mind. I sighed in relief as it died down. Plus and stopped playing music, it was good music but I couldn't stand it for much longer. I then snapped back to reality as I walked into a humongous chamber. "Welcome to the Changeling Hive" said a semi-familiar voice. 1500 years in the past "This is the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friend! some people, started singing it not knowing what it was, and they just kept on singing it forever just because," I was trying everything in my power to get Prime Directive to even acknowledge me now. It had stopped squishing me in a corner of my own mind, and I was ticked. So what better revenge than to get that particular ear-worm annoying it. It was paying no heed, but at least it made me feel better. "Different hive mind identified." This was the first thing it had said in hours, and I did not know what it had said at all. "What?" I asked. "Should we capture it?" This was new. "I thought you were in charge." "You are authorized in deciding things like this. I am just here to make sure that you stay on task, and your mindset at the current time is not to be trusted with some things." This was good and bad at the same time. If I could convince it that I was suitable for general command and control... "Capture?" "Sure, why not." I suddenly felt Prime Directive expanding outwards. It was meeting lots of resistance - most likely the hive mind in question - but it was a diamond to their steel-like hive mind. The hive mind bent, then broke. They were ours. I felt the myriad of minds that were added to our hive mind. I also felt all the information that was in their minds coming into mine. I first gathered some info about our new servants. They were called the Changelings, they ate love, - interesting - they could shape shift almost instantly, - awesome- and so on and so forth. But something that surprised me was the native races. "Are they serious? Griffons? Dragons? Unicorns? And all sentient!?!?!?!?!" "Which should we go to war with first?" "I can't choose 'none of the above’ now, can I? I don't want to become a genocidal maniac." "If you don't choose, then I will choose for you." I grabbed onto a new piece of info. Could go into another realm. - this probably meant a pocket dimension - So they at least had a chance at surviving and stalling the swarm. While I ordered them to be hunted down for all of eternity, of course. "Lets do the Breezies, then." "Affirmative." "BUT lets build my swarm first, eh?" I stalled, "Seems like a logical option. Affirmative." I was now delaying for as long as possible.