Long View was one of the Primary Hive's most experienced diplomats, but even he was a little worried when he crossed over the invisible but often patrolled border that separated Hive Primary's sector of the Badlands from that of Hive Chrysalis. Of all of the Changeling Hives, Hive Chrysalis had the most unpleasant reputation for detaining, draining and even outright killing changelings not of the Chrysalis Swarm when they crossed the border. Although all the Hives were somewhat territorial, most would forgive an accidental intruder once, with only a warning. Not so Hive Chrysalis. Changelings who went into their area, rarely came out again. I'm a diplomat and can prove it, and part of the Changeling Way is that the diplomatic protocol is respected. But then the most important part of the Changeling Way is that changelings keep their existence a secret from other races, and Queen Chrysalis broke that in a spectacular fashion. Still, Queen Rarity must be doing the right thing in sending me to her.
Two nearby pegasui flew over quickly, and one angrily said "Identify yourself."
"I am the diplomat Long View from the Primary Hive, flying en clair without a disguise. Queen Rarity has sent me to meet Queen Chrysalis and to ask for the release of the pony Big Noise so that he can be restored to his family. I have a proper letter of introduction signed and sealed. I carry no weapons."
After looking at his letter the reply was "You are telling the truth, and you can follow us to Queen Chrysalis, but she will most likely say no. "
Soon enough they arrived at the great mound of Hive Chrysalis. From the outside, it seemed like some great termite mound, but Long View knew it would be different on the inside. The black-shelled guards let him inside, and it was well lit with glowing green web. Although their night vision was excellent, changelings generally disliked living in the dark. He passed through the outer levels, where changelings lived and worked and went to markets, and the inner levels where the youngest hatchlings and the eggs were cared for and watched over, to the Royal Court near the centre of the Hive where the Queen sat on an ebony throne with her trusted courtiers and generals. He bowed, and introduced himself politely. When he asked for the release of Big Noise, the Queen snorted.
"Those who are captured and brought into my Hive stay there. Why should this case be different? If you were not an accredited diplomat, you too would never leave here."
"Because my Queen caught one of your agents and holds him in custody for Big Noise's safe return."
The pupils of Queen Chrysalis's eyes widened and she let out a deep, angry hiss. "Fine. Bring me the cocoon that contains Big Noise. We will take him to your Hive and there swap him for my subject." A couple of minions scuttled off and came back with a large green see-through cocoon. Long View looked carefully at it and smelled the cocoon, which gave off the sweet smell of pony love.
"That is indeed Big Noise."
"I and my soldiers will personally go to your Hive with you to exchange him for my captured agent." As Queen Chrysalis, her royal bodyguards, Long View and the cocooned Big Noise left the Hive, a number of Changeling border guards flew up to them in a panic. "The armies of the other Badlands Hives have crossed our borders-all of them, far too many of them for us to do anything about it."
Several changeling armies appeared in the distance, rank on rank, with many colours of carapace. Hive Lampyridae was there with their wood and obsidian swords, along with the ferocious Swarms Phengodidae, Elateridae and Staphylinidae, each individual Swarm army being about the size of the army of Queen Chrysalis. The powerful Mycetophilidae were there too, and even the Diptera, normally on reasonable terms with Hive Chrysalis, and they all looked very ready for war. Changeling wars between Swarms when they occurred were quick-they had to be, before the love supplies of both Hives ran out-and often bloodthirsty too, as the weaker Hive had to be either exterminated or chased far away. Rarely did the Swarms unite as one against another Swarm, as they were too competitive. In a crescent "horns of the buffalo" formation, they advanced and quickly encircled Hive Chrysalis on both the ground and with aerial squadrons as well. And they looked anything but happy. One of the Queens came forward, her red polished chitin gleaming, buttressed by the chain-mail shirt she was wearing on her thorax, a morning star gripped in her magic.
Queen Chrysalis lightly bowed to her. "Ah, what brings you so far from your home, your Majesty? It has been a while since we last spoke."
"I may have been your close friend up until now, but what you did in attacking Canterlot, and with your soldiers en clair as well, was an outrageous breech of the Changeling Way. Following the Way has kept us reasonably safe for thousands of years. Some love is hard to gather, but up until now, just disguising oneself and walking amongst ponies with one's emotion sacs open has been enough to feed and bring love back to the Hive. Until now. Your idiotic full frontal attack has put the ponies into crazy suspicion mode, and our gatherers can only bring back a small amount of love. Either you and all your little friends must make peace with the ponies within twenty-four hours, or you will stay here forever-six feet underground. Your Hive will become your tomb. I guarantee you that you and all your brood will be considered legitimate targets and will never escape. This is your one and only warning."
"What do you want me to do, turn up at a Royal Guard station and turn myself in?"
"No. Send ambassadors to ask for a meeting with the Princesses on neutral ground. And then apologise for the looting and damage your Hive did to Canterlot and the ponies who were killed or maimed or had their businesses smashed up and had to go on welfare or eat grass. In public. And then pay reasonable reparations-we will support you against the ponies if they demand too much, and work out a way for us to feed again. United we vastly outnumber your subjects. If we make war against you, you will lose it. Make peace with the ponies or face war to the death with your fellow Changelings and have your brood "eaten up."
Queen Chrysalis stamped her hoof in a royal rage, but she knew that her much-weakened Swarm could not win such a battle. "Fine. I will do what you say."
"But how can we trust you?"