//------------------------------// // Chapter One (Re-edited) // Story: A Hive of Three Minds // by Living Madness //------------------------------// Hoofsteps marked the mudded path, it had been raining heavily since she ran into the forest. She couldn’t tell what was worse, the icy unforgiving water that cut into the very depths of her exoskeleton, or the sticky sweat pouring down her face that cooled across her body as she wiped her brow, causing her to momentarily losing focus of her calculated stride. She almost tripped on a root beneath her. She rebalanced quickly, the small gash on her leg caused by the connection stung beyond measure, but she didn’t care, she had to keep going no matter the cost to her health. Snapping yet more branches with her body and the edge of her sharp jagged horn, she continued her charge. She ducks and dives to the sides, every time she met something she couldn’t crash through, narrowly missing them sometimes by mere inches. The enormous ominous black trees all around her projected shadows on their bark, creating faces that mockingly smiled or contorted into great harrowingly expressions of misery interchangeably. Was it the dark magic in the forest, a trick caused by the light of the moon, or her own exhaustion creeping in and creating hallucinations all around her? The trees bend and contort like marionettes in a twisted dance, as the harrowing winds whip through them. Their healthy green leaves were ripped from the very branches forming arrowheads in the howling winds that whip against her almost as hard and as much as the icy rain. She want to fly. Every chance she could she looked up into the sky, in those brief moments of open plains between the forest floor. It would be so freeing, so much easier, but she couldn’t. She would be spotted in an instant, the forest is the only chance she has to escape her pursuers. Even for a creature of her strength and ilk she knew this couldn’t last forever. This marathon was reaching its end. The hunter was being hunted through the forest. Like a hare set upon by ravenous hounds. Her body fought her will to continue at every moment, her throat was dry and her lips were cracked, even in the rain she was dehydrated and lightheaded, she needed to stop. But the very thought sickened her, rather than allowing them to deter her, she pushed them away from the forefront of her mind. She had more important things to worry about than herself, she considers as she strengthens her hold of the two precious packages by her sides. She pushes them further against her iron like chitin sides with her translucent wings. The act brings some small comfort to her. The forest had to end eventually, she kept this in mind, even when it was getting thicker she felt once more it was the forest playing tricks on her. It was more alive than most gave it credit for. But all things had to come to an end, even this accursed place. Once she reached the clearing she would consider taking a break. When they would be safe, the clearing would provide her children with protection, at least that was what she prayed it would do. It had gotten darker now, somehow, almost unnaturally so, the shadows were ever blackening and even the small moments of the moon's light penetrating the clouds did little more than offer brief seconds of respite from the abyss. Even with her eyes, able to pierce into the recesses of most abysses, she was finding it hard to spot the next branch that blocked her path, only giving her just enough time to brace for its whip like impact. It would have been easy, if not for her state, that she could have thrown the very trees themselves from her path; but that would only draw their attention faster. It was never a good thing for prey to telegraph its position. So she took the brunt of them as the branches left cuts and tiny scars on her softer underbelly, allowing for small droplets of green lifeblood to coat her legs and abdomen. Another ten minutes go by, then another. She loses track of time, her breath becomes laboured and heavy, eyes blurred, but she pushes onwards, nothing else matters but her charge. She spots a tree five meters in front of her to her left. Its trunk contains a hollow in the shape of an eight, she does not know why she notices this, or why she even remember why she even made note of that before. But now it worries her greatly. Hadn’t she seen that tree before! No that can’t be right, she had been running straight this entire time she was sure of it, it was just pure coincidence, she was just tired, all trees look the same at night. She skids on the mud, her hoof gets caught for a moment as she loses her focus. “Snap out of it!” She commands to herself in a harsh whisper, something was different, the air in this area was strangely unnerving and it was getting to her. She once more shakes the distracting thoughts from her mind and continues onwards, dodging another oncoming tree, she thinks it safe to concentrate on running again. That is until she hears a noise, a whisper, like something or someone had leaned next to her ears and spoke. “What do we have here?” She freezes, instinctively yelling at the intrusion. Only for a second she takes her eyes from the path for a mere moment, looking behind her. But the lack of concentration was enough and in her folly she stumbles on a outgrown root. it takes her completely off guard and as she tries to look back to the path, she loses her balance, and falls with the full force of her charge. She lands hard. Her head and chest take the brunt of it, she feels her wings naturally shoot to the sides trying to slow her impact, it’s too late however, and as soon as she hits the floor she blacks out. Moments pass. She opens her eyes, slowly this time, her addled mind trying its best to balance her surroundings, as the trees blur back into form. She groans, out of pain, and out of tiredness. Oh she was so very tired. She spots something, her precious cargo, just by the foot of a great tree, her eyes snap open she lets out a hollow gasp. It was helplessness all alone, the sight gives her the impetus to stand once more. She groans and growls again as she pushes herself up, her body screams at her to go back down, lay down and sleep. But the very idea is anathema to her. Shakily she makes her way over to the egg. Cupping it in her chest she feels the infant inside, reaching into the egg with her mind's natural biology, she feels it squirm and ripple, she thanks the old mothers, it was safe. She inspects the egg, no cracks no forms of damage were visible, save a muddy stain on one side. She was lucky this time, eggs of this breed were harder than most others. She gives a silent prayer to her goddess’s. As she carefully lifts it over to her left wing cupping it with great care. Turning her ear she hears something in the distance. A life time in the caves of the old mothers has honed them to perfection. Her kind were not the only ones that dwell in those labyrinths. They were certainly not the only predators either. She turns back to the egg, not a second later her eyes light up in shock once more. Where was the other one!? Frantically she turns to survey the landscape it could not have gotten far. Was it in one of the bushes, tangled in the thorns? Goddess she hoped it was okay. Please don’t let anything happen to her. She beseeches in her thoughts. She flicks her gaze in all direction, a horrific idea blooms in her mind, she checks her own body just to be sure something so morbid had not happened. No, thank the old mothers. She was clean, at least in that regard. “Looking for something?” A smooth and sinister voice calls out behind her. She turns, putting her body into a pouncing stance almost immediately. Not all prey are helpless, even in her fatigue she was as dangerous as any predator, especially when cornered, especially when her charge were on the line. “You know… “ it starts to say. She catches sight of the beast or at least its mouth, a Cheshire cat smile, stretching the width of the tree trunk, beyond that of any mortal. The presence of a smiling elder face she can’t explain. It's disturbing mouth, filled with fangs fixed to its mouth made the sickening smile that much more horrifying. She almost screams at the sight, but collects herself at the last moment, instead taking a quick step back, she was braver than that; she had to be. “I’m not sure what goes better.” The disembodied mouth ponders. “Some people like it sunny side up but where’s the fun in that, It’s so predictable.” Its voice was slow and drawn out, almost methodically. She stops, her body trembling, she collects herself, if only for the moment. “Hardboiled? No, I can never get the blasted timing down. It always seems to… Run.” The creature’s eyes flick up, like it was attached to the trunk itself. They flare open revealing a set of crazed mismatched eyes that bore into her. The eyes tell her everything in their image, she knows instantly the creature is insane, or at least disturbed. Its eyes promise a carnival of misery and a circus show of horror. What was this thing? Then she sees something by the beast. Green and blue, she senses the rattled infant inside. It was her egg! Her other little girl in the clutches of the things monstrous paw. The creature holds it like a ball, its grip lose, A strong gust of wind and it would slip from its very hands… Maternal instincts kick in over rational thought, she roars in total rage. Her fangs bared at the creature, in an instinctual display of aggression. She acts first, taking a pouncing stance and bearing her teeth at the creature with a hideous hiss, she lunges for what’s hers. The creature dematerialised instantly, that same sickening laugh mocking her, taunting her, laughing at her cosmic misfortune for being so unlucky as to have greeted by such a creature in its vigil moments. She hits the tree, not feeling the brunt of it, she turns to look for it, fangs still on display. “My, my feisty little thing aren’t you. Hmm perhaps I’ll go scrambled this time. Yes! Nothing is more delicious than scrambled egg. I dare say it resonates with me, a kindred spirit in food. My my maybe I do need to get out more, I’m befriending a cooking style.” It laughs again, making her shiver from her tail right to her very venom glands. “Give her back!” The words were not a request, she growls each syllable out like the very words were a command from the very goddess’s. She almost spits venom with each word. “Of course my dear, of course, I was only telling a joke, don’t you like my comedic style?” He laughs, tossing the egg up lightly into his paw and catching it. Her eyes never leave the egg, she is irate. How dare it! He taps his chin with a claw in mock thought. “Though, most always said my timing was a bit off.” As he finishes the sentence he disappears, leaving the egg to fall towards the ground. Instincts kick in once more and she throws herself towards the egg. She catches it in the nick of time. Cupping the egg in her hooves before it had a chance to hit the cold unforgiving ground. She would never let that happen. “Whoops, guess those naysayer were on to something.” He fictitiously apologises with a sheepish smile that twists her stomach. “You myopic fool, you piece of filth. You could have killed her!” She bellows, fire raging in her eyes as she stands up bringing the other egg in her left wing to her chest. She cupped both of her eggs in one hoof, both to assure herself that they were still safe and also so she could keep her reptilian eyes on the thing, without fear of them falling into its fiendish claws once more. The beast looks shocked putting a claw up to its spindly body. “Perrish the very thought. Me, Discord killing something? The very idea makes me sick to my thirteen stomachs, what would be the point in killing. It’s so… so finite.” The sordid smile returns as he fakely shivers at the notion. She doesn’t have time for this. She wants to destroy this creature for laying its paws on her unhatched daughter, on royalty. But there is no time, already she could hear the background change, noises of buzzing wings fill the air. She places the eggs back in her wings before she backs away from the creature, she wished to keep running, she had lost precious time she did not know she would even get back, but she was unable to take her sight from it. The creature was fast, she needed to make sure she could run the moment it teleported. “Why my dear, where are you going? You haven’t even given me your name. It’s the height of rudeness after I just introduced myself.” The ‘thing’, for that was the only way she could describe it, snaps its fingers, teleporting right behind her as she accidentally backs into it. She yelps in surprise. Turning around and hissing once more, large protruding fangs advertised to him like a snake, a warning. Stay away from her. The thing yawns. “Hiss? Is that it, your mother wasn’t terribly inventive was she?” “Get out of my way, I need to leave, they’re following me!” She growls out hiding none of her disdain for the creature. She bolts one way, then the other, trying to trick the creature. Running a different direction each time, but somehow the creature blocks her chance at escape. “Following you? Oh my how terrible, I mean you read about these things in the news, but you never expect to see it in person.” The thing looked states with a fake mocking shock in its voice. The creatures act of levity was killing her, Does it not understand! No it did, it just didn’t care. “Stop that, I need to leave, foul creature, if you’re not going to kill me, then begone, before they find me!” “What is it they want to find you for? Oh are you in danger?” She growls again, the thing was obviously playing with her, it was demonstrably clear she was not getting away without playing its game. Maybe she should shoot it, a blast straight to its cranium, she would find no greater pleasure. She thinks against it, they would sense her powers, see the illumination of her green magical aura. Her pursuers were too close now, if she lights up her horn to decapitate this thing, they would see, they would hear it, she would find her. “They’re not after me, I could care less what that harpy does to me, but my children, I need to keep them safe!” “Oh, well you better get going then, quickly. No telling what type of riff raff you find in these parts.” The beast laughs at the irony of its statement, moving from her path. That was all she needed she leaps away at full force, fully ready for the sprint of her life. Only for her to be yanked back, hard. She falls onto the ground again, falling flat this time at the last moment to protect her eggs, the thick mud coats her underside and splatters into her face. Groaning she wipes away the mud, before staring back through her matted locks. The creature had her tail in its paw. It scratches its head in thought. “Although, maybe I should step in, can’t have a crime happening in my land after all, and we need eyewitnesses.” The creature states, now adorned with some sort of glass over both eyes, a golden badge with the words sheriff written on it and a single piece of orchard grass at the side of its mouth. “Let go of my tail creature, you just-- The words hit her and she looks up at it in shock, standing up to meet its gaze better as her tail slips from his grasp, the words cut through her anger instantly. Did it just say his land!? “But, no! This is pony land, the maps, the Overseers, they don’t lie!” The beast chuckles, lifting up the glasses so it could stare directly into her eyes. With great mirth he closes the distance, wrapping around her. “Pony land? Good heavens no! This is all mine. From the spinning mountains to the giant statue of yours truly made from solid hard candy. Hasn’t been a pony here for quite some time now, isn’t it fantastic!” It states with glee. “H-How long?” She stutters, she can’t believe the words, it was lying, of course it was, it had to be! But she needed to know, she was begging that even if that were the case it would not have been long, If so she could at least catch up to the ponies, if it was in anyway true. It shoots up from its crouching position, pacing around her in thought. “You know I just can’t really put an exact time on it, keep forgetting to buy a new calendar. I mean where do you even purchase those things these days? And time is such a fickle thing. Hmm let’s say about four hundred years give or take a few hundreds.” It waves its paw nonchalantly. Her legs begin to shake underneath her, she can barely keep still now. It feels like the world itself was bearing down on her, her sight goes into tunnel vision, she begins to hyperventilate. She can’t believe the creature she would not let herself. “No-no-no-no-no-no-no.” “Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes my little girl, my little land is a beautiful little El Dorado for the disturbed, a Shangri-La of silliness, a home away from norm, not a pony in sight. Well I mean for now anyway.” He finishes the sentence with a dark nefarious chuckle. She wants to believe that the beast was lying, even in these few moments of knowing him, she could tell that was not something it would be above doing. But that was just it. The ponies, from the stories she had heard of them and there society's, would never let such a creature near their settlement. They did not tolerate incongruous creatures such as him. So for something like him to be here, so close to their home, even for any amount of time... It must have been telling the truth, there was no telling the creature was powerful enough given what she had seen and felt from the monster. It must have driven them from their own lands and with that any chance of her children’s salvation. “M-y my plans, I’ll never reach them in time it, it’s all over.” Her legs finally give out she falls onto the ground for a third time, careful still to not crush her eggs, she wanted to keep them for as long as she had left with them. She stays like this for only a moment, taken away from the outside world as she allows the statement to truly enrapture her, she mumbles what the creature said over and over in her mind. That was my only chance… Something snaps her thoughts away from her. she feels a pulling deep in her chest, she recognised it instantly, the biological ethereal tendrils that linked her to it gave her no choice but to notice. The eggs were responding in the only way they knew how to her mother, she felt there need, there begging for her love. She choked back a cry that worms its way into her throat, with a motherly smile, and a tear in her eye, she moves a lock of her dark cyan coloured hair. Leaning down she touched her horn to one of the eggs, the light no longer matters to her now. It was over, she had lost, they would find her now, no matter what. Her only chance had been to find the pony settlement in the east. It had been a fool's chance from the beginning. Planning to reach the settlement, disguised as one of their own. She would have screamed about being chased by some foul beasts. She would then have let the local militia take care of her pursues for her, or at least give her the time to find a stronger fortress. It would have been a temporary problem solver, but the confusion would have given her the time she needed. She knew nothing of the scope or size of the settlement, nor even where it truly was, save for that it was beyond the Neverfair forest. But now, by those simple mocking words from the creature, she had lost, her gambit had failed, now the dealer was waiting to collect. She touches the other egg with her horn, flowing the life source of her kind, channeling it through to her doomed infant daughter, the egg responded with a happy greedy yet content feeling, she felt them in her mind linked even then to one another. It was pointless to feed them this love, it would go to waste once they found and disposed of them. But she couldn’t help but instigate one last bit of defiance. She would take that victory for what it was worth. She was only young after all, it was to be expected. The creature stared at her for a moment in a weird pout. “My dear. Whatever is the matter? You look like I’ve taken your very soul away.” She choked back another sob, losing the fight in her, she spoke more to herself than to the creature. “That was my only chance for my eggs, she’s going to find me and, and destroy them. Why did I wait so long, if only- if only… My daughters might have had a chance.” “A chance, hmm this sounds like fun.” The creature whispers to itself already his criminally Machiavellian mind begins to conjure up thoughts, ways to spread the chaos. Oh yes this was just too ripe to spoil. So many things he could do with that much power. Oh this was just what he wanted, best birthday ever! “My dear, dear, little changeling.” It coo’s caressing the Princess cheek, She flicks it away in disgust, spitting venom onto the floor. “How in ash do you know---” the thing silences her with a digit from its paw. “Not much time my sweet little morsel, you said you needed help and by all the grace of me, I am here! Deliverance in a drop dead sexy body.” He states proudly, conjuring a leather jacket, similar black spectacles as before and a comb to grease his ashen white hair back. She looked at him with confusion crinkling her brow, a tiny twinkle of hope glistened in her eyes. “W-w-what do you mean creature?” Discord hurumps at her.“’Creature’, ‘Thing’, why, I offer you my name and help and you respond with insults. My word the youth of today. I ought to wash your mouth out with soap.” He laughed snapping a bar of soap into the air. She knew not what this soap was, in fact most of what he was saying and doing she did not get. She neither liked nor trusted this creature as far as she could kick him. But just then he had promised her salvation, the lives of her child, she was willing to listen, to tolerate its superfluous nature, what other choice did she have? “What, why do you wish to help me?” She asked uncertainly, the sound of buzzing was coming yet ever closer, but she ignores it, focusing entirely on the creature, this Discord thing. Discord bit into the bar of soap, before burping out a large bubble. “I’m just a nice guy like that.” She gave him a deadpanned look. “Forgive me, for not believing your attempts at sophistry.” “Believe all you want my dear. You should never judge a book by its cover. Well, at least not in the middle of being pursued in a dark, ominous forest that is.” She looked at the ground, this is madness, utter madness. She was talking to a physical impossibility, a creature she had no doubt was evil, or at least had ill intentions at heart. But the maternal instincts over rid her, throwing out her usually impeccable foresight for such things, it promised help. Help. She had not heard the words for a very long time. One did not receive help in the hive, you learned to survive on your own, or you simply didn’t. What were her choices, if she said no, she was condemning her children to certain death, before they had even had the chance to stare blinking at her and breath in there first breath of life, before they could shed their chitin for the first time, before they had been able to taste love truly horn to horn. How could a mother deny this out of possible mistrust? But if she asked for help, would death have been a better future for her girls? This was all her fault, she should have known better. She was stupid, why did she even consider him as her lover? Fools that they were. Young love was nothing but bad news for members of royalty, she should have stuck with her own kind, none of this would have happened. No, it wasn’t even his fault, she had seduced him. She cursed her reckless ways, her own immaturity had led her to this. It was all her fault, but she would not let her precious children suffer for her improvident ways. “I-if you so much as scratch there Chitin!” She began to threaten taking a step closer to the beast. “My dear if I hurt them, than that is the exact opposite of helping, is it not?” He stated with an uncharacteristically serious tone, His countenance now unreadable, she stared at him for as long as time would permit her, which was not more than a few seconds. “What will you do with them?” she asked, clutching them tightly. “Why, I’ll put them in a place no creature would even dream of finding them.” Her reptilian eyes shrank at the prospect. “No, they will be found, the hive mind, they will know the moment you put them on the ground! They will never stop searching for a rival, especially a mix-breed.” She hated that word, especially to describe it about her own daughters, but it was true. Discord laughed right into her face, as if it was the funniest punchline he had ever been in the presence of hearing. “My dear, it’s not about where I hide them, it’s about when.” She blinked once, then twice, as she turned her head in confusion. “When?” “Oh you mortals really do crack me up.” He flicked a tear from his eye. Discord laughed in the face of time, he tweaked its stubby nose, gave wedges to it when it strolled down the school corridor. Such simple things were almost trivial to him really. He didn’t need time, he could spend a thousand years in one place on his head if he wanted. Not that he would allow such a boring fate to ever befall him. “Yes when! Look as much as I would looove to keep talking, I’m sure your eggs have somewhere to be, unless you still want those scrambled, because I’m an excellent cook believe me!” She growled back at him, hugging her daughters closer. “You’re a sick fiend.” “Stop, you’re going to make me blush.” He waved the ‘compliment’ away. The buzzing had gotten louder, close enough that the creatures of the forest could hear them. Rustling of the forest signaled the forest dwelling creatures retreat from the alien noise, As she turned towards the rustling she spotted by a large grey hare which ran between herself and Discord, fleeing for its life. “So my dear, the clock is ticking, no time to be ambivalent about this, what will it be?” He answered with his now know characteristically volatile smirk. “I-I…” “This way, the tracks lead this way!” A voice called out, distorted, but distinctly feminine in nature. “I’m sure I saw the light just up ahead, Princess!” Another voice calls out She hugged her daughters again, pushing her eggs close to her heart in so many ways. This was the choice. She had had a taste of these unpleasant sort of choices before, being a queen-to-be, she had had to make destructive decisions, almost daily, in order to survive and prosper. But all paled in comparison to this. She would never be the same care free Princess she was after this. It would destroy her, but at least she would know they were safe, perhaps that would be enough to keep her sane. “Will-will I ever see them again?” “Hmm- he stroked his goatee- probably, you lot live quite a while don’t you?” She nodded. “Well then, I’m sure that will be enough time for you to sort things out. But just to be safe I’ll chuck a few more years onto it.” “H-how long?” She almost doesn’t what to know. “How about a thousand years, that seems like a good round number. Yes, that will do just nicely you can deal with your problems in that time, and then, you can come find me.” One thousand years. Her heart sank, such a long time was well within her lifespan, but to be deprived of them for so long? Yet she couldn’t argue more that such a large quantity of time was probably what she needed. Her mother was easily going to live for another five hundred and her sisters, if she didn’t finish most them off herself by then, would be around for far longer than that. “Will, will they still be eggs by then, how will you supply them with love, they can’t live without the hive, how will you keep them safe, if anything happens to you?” she asked tripping over the abundance of questions she simply had no time to ask, it sickened her that she was almost pleadingly but she needed to know. Discord laughed again. “Happen to me? Seriously? The prince of chaos who are you fooling.” The response didn’t please the young Princess, judging by the dark stare she was giving him. “*Sigh* Fine perish the very thought, but if something happens to me, they’ll be safe, so quit your fussing. I’ll even be extra safe and hide them in someplace completely separate from one another, it would take a total genius to find them.” Or a madman he thinks, he chuckled at that, as he took a moment to think about the possibilities that were opening up for him. She fishes though yet more problems she had with the idea. She wanted to make sure this creature considers all the possibilities of dealing with her daughters, before she feels even remotely comfortable about hoofing them over. So much to discuss, but there was just no time. “What about their skin, they’re too young to change, if somehow they hatch beforehand?” “Really? You’re really asking me this now, those buzzy little drones are literally about to chew on your muddy tail and you’re asking me for a game of twenty question?” Discord stated now getting a little annoyed at the girl. She stands up in rigorous indignation, hitting her hoof against his chest to get her point across. “They are my daughters you beast, I have a right to know what happens to them!” His frown grew exponentially. “Yes, the powerful always think they have some sort of deity given right don’t they?” He mused, more to himself than her, as he thought of two in particular. A very annoying little blue pony and an even more stuck up and pompous white one. He still plays footage reels of literally kicking them out of his new land, it only got even funnier after the three hundredth viewing. “I said I would help, and Discord does nothing half-heartedly.” Oh the irony he thought, as he suppressed a chuckle. “Yes and as your name suggests, you don’t do anything straightforwardly either!” She growled back. “Guilty.” He sang back at her, with a high pitched voice. She sighed, she had already made up her mind, ultimately she had no control over whatever it had planned for them. She closed her eyes so tightly it hurt, as the tears squeezed themselves out of her, only to be washed away by the rain. With tremendous trepidation, she lifted her eggs with her magic into the air, feeling those disturbing and chaotic paws reach out to grasp them. Her children, a piece of her very soul, she had now given to him. She prayed that one day she would be able to look at herself in the mirror again. “Thank you my dear, you’ve made this old Draconequus a very happy mismatched lump of limbs. Now chin up, a thousand years isn’t so bad, it’s not like it’s a life time. Well not to us anyway.” He laughed again, harder and more forcefully at her as she slumped down, her own guilt and emotions anchored her, crushed her. She hears him being to walk away, but she finds it in her for one last request. “Wait!” Discords laughter stopped instantly, he turned back and gives her a grump pout. “Look no givesies backsies.” “If you won’t give me the decency of telling me there fate, will you at least let me say goodbye?” She pleads. “Really?” He looked behind her, as they both let the silence linger, to exacerbate the sound of the buzzing drawing ever closer to their position. “Now?” She just stared at him, with fiery determination. He sighed, slumping his head down in annoyance. “Fine, but only because you have the most adorable little pout.” He squatted down, presenting her eggs to her in his hands. She wasted no time leaning down to them. “I promise you this, we will be together again, My sweet baby Nymphs. Once I’ve destroyed that , that old vile bucking--- ‘She pauses to take a deep shaky breath, teared streaking down her muzzle, dropping on to the eggs’---F-Farewell my little Larvalette and farewell my— “Over here, Princess this is where I saw it!” An unnamed drone yelled out, the buzzing noises intensify. She turned looking at the voice with a gasp, she snatched her gaze back to her eggs but they were gone and so to was the creature. She was alone, truly alone in the world now, what had she done, had she done the right thing? She couldn’t say, perhaps she never would be able to. Only time would tell, as it ate away at her even now. She had done so many bad things already, even for one so young, and yet this one topped them all, easily. She collapsed, willingly this time. Her energy gone she slumped sideways to the floor, the mud curled around her, she hoped it would swallow her whole, take her into the deepest blackest pit, she deserved as much. But alas, all it truly did was mat her hair and chitin in mud. She kept her eyes closed, they had felt too heavy to keep open anyway. She barely felt the cold rain on her. Her world was mute to her now, she only even flicked her ear out of instinct, when the first set of hoofs landed beside her. Followed by the rest the creatures, her ‘loyal’ subject prodded her, one of them called out something to the effect of “She’s alive.” She almost laughed at that statement; how wrong he was, she felt no further feeling from it. It was only when she heard that slimy, penetrating, feminine voice slither its way into her ears, did she even flick her ear to attention towards it. “Chryissy! Big Sis, we were so worried about you, mother has half the hive penetrating these backwater yokel cesspits.” She could almost feel the smirk her little, in both senses of the word, sister was wearing, it sickened her. Chrysalis couldn’t help but think that she had once, at some point in her life, she had counted her little sister as her favourite sibling. Chrysalis said nothing, she kept her eyes closed. “What? Got nothing to lord over me this time sister, oh you had a mouth that wouldn’t stop running, but I guess it’s your legs this time.” She laughed, it was forced, and she knew her little sister was putting on an act. Her sister was always the weak one of the litter, Chrysalis the strongest, at least in terms of birth strength and size. As such, to prove her worth to survive, the littlest had an Inveterate of over compensating and constantly bragging about small feats. Something Chrysalis had once found oddly endearing in one so small and weak. Except now it was not so adorable, because now, she had power and the rights, to back it up. “Nothing in the vicinity your grace.” A small slimmer version of her kind, a drone, reported, as he drops down among the swarming flock of interchangeable drones and the enormously bulky Bulls, buzzing around the forest floor. “Well, keep searching!” She snaps back at the drone, who reels back from her threat, before bolting back into the canopy. Her sister waited for a response, but Chrysalis gave her none, she was too tired for that little game. But the lack of acknowledgement only made her little sister angry. Chrysalis knew that her sister hated being ignored. “Stop this farce sister! You brought this on yourself. You know the policy of fraternising with our food. It’s disgusting! The eggs were doomed to die, it’s for the benefit of the hive, now are you going to sit here in the rain and sulk or are you going to stop this and go home?” Her sister yelled, becoming more and more irate that nothing was seemingly being acknowledged. She leaned in further growling into Chrysalis ear. Chrysalis waited for the right moment, before lunging up, throwing the smaller sibling to the ground with ease and baring her fangs right for her siblings’ neck. She felt them pierce the light carapace under her chin with ease. she sunk in only enough to break the outer membrane, but she went no further than that. Her sibling recovered quickly from the sudden attack and even managed to laugh at her sister, though she was in no position to. “Have you truly been struck dumb sister? Attacking your little sister, who is only doing what her hive dictates from her. Culling sister is our way, have you forgotten? Why are you acting so weak? Or was this always the case, oh how you hid it well.” Chrysalis did not deter from her actions, so grief stricken and angry at all of this and most of all herself, she barely heard the stinging words from her sister. Her sister pauses letting out a small choking noise as the fangs sink a little deeper. “You would do this to me then. You do realise that I was the only one that wanted to bring you back alive, right big sis?...Fine then, do it then, if you’re going to! But know the price for killing a healthy heir of our hive. Death will not be swift. Even if you are mother's favourite, she knows the rules!” A tiny undertone of hurt left her little sister's voice that she tried to mask, by employing years of over dramatizing. She hopes it only sounded like that because of the physical pain she was enduring. But it’s enough to make Chrysalis pause. Chrysalis growled utter grief and anger reverberated through her jaw into the neck of her sibling, as she slowly removed her fangs. Before snapping them just inches from her little sisters muzzle. “You think I care what she does to me, little Vespida? Her punishment would pale in comparison to what I have done to myself?” Her sister growled back at Chrysalis, both advertised their fangs at one another neither backing down. “Don’t be so melodramatic Chrysalis, fornicating with our livestock is disgusting, but it’s not— Chrysalis huffed in disgust. “You have no idea sister, have you ever made a deal with the very Father himself, You have no idea wh--” She screamed as the other drones and Bulls finally jump up from the shrubbery, tackling Chrysalis to the ground with all their strength. “Finally!” Vespida yelled, flipping herself back over. She stood up and rubbed the marks on her neck. She spat into her hoof and used the sticky secretion produced in her glands to seal up her puncture marks quickly. “Somedrone put her under, the princess has gone quite mad, and I don’t want to hear her rambling all night.” She had almost allowed herself to feel pity for her Sister. Once so proud and powerful. Vespida had only really wanted one thing in her life, before this night, to be an equal to her sister. To stand proudly by her side, not just as a little sister, but as her strong, reliable, independent best friend. But now she felt robbed of even that. Her sister’s condition was clear to her now. She had finally lost her mind. Vespida spat on the floor in disgust. How the old mother play with our ambitions! “My Princess, we found no evidence of the eggs.” A enormous hulking pitch black Bull stated with a bellowing voice. Somehow his strength only served to be a contrast to the abject fear of disobeying and disappointing his smaller, seemingly less threatening Princess. Vespida looked down at her fallen sister as the drones press on every inch of her body suppressing her, she ignores the other Bulls words. Her eyes were too fixated on another Bull that had approached the downed Princess horn. It took great care with each step, a ring of isolation in its hoof. That horn was a strong as a war-hammer and as sharp as any spear. It would skewer any creature with ease, even with the Bulls naturally thick dense carapace, it had to be very careful. “No matter, we are in the middle of the woods, surrounded by beasts, and by the time my sister comes to, we will be far far from here. If the beasts don’t get them, they will be dead come morn with the storm as bad as it is.” It was true, the eggs need constant care and warmth. In this weather the eggs would be dead in hours. Especially one of such ill breed. Chrysalis felt the ring go over her horn, cutting her off from her powers and the hive itself, as soon as the ring hit the tip of her horn, at the top of her head, she passed out. Falling into a deep coma like sleep, a defense mechanism for royalty. For every other Ling, the moment the ring hit their horn they would have gone mad, and within an hour of being cut off from the hive mind they would have died. The ring was more of a corporal, draconian punishment for her kind. Meant for traitors or to cull defective dangerous drones. All she could think of before the ring hit her tip was the thought of her children. Would they live, would she see them again, would she even live long enough to come close to that? Whatever happened, come a thousand years, if she survived and prospered, nothing would come between them and her. Even if she had to betray her very race to do so. Back in Ponyville. Discord could hardly contain himself, he pirouetted in delight swinging the eggs in his grasp, as he danced around the town, jumping over floating tables and chairs that had littered the town theatre before his ‘triumphant liberation’ of Ponyville from the evils of normality. “Discord you old dog, you’ve really done it now. This might be my greatest achievement yet!” He yelled as he jumped into the air landing on the stage, an applause was audible dispute the lack of anyone around. He had not one, but two, changeling Princesses in his position, and she had just given them to him! And wiling no less! Oh sure, he could have just taken them, but where was the fun in that. Stealing was easy, but it was just so much more delicious to have her give them to him. Oh he could have just kissed that poor, poor little bug. He squealed in glee, hugging the eggs. “Now, let’s see, what shall be done with you two?” He stated, unable to contain the ideas racing in his head. He briefly entertained the notion of just keeping them for himself, but again that just wasn’t fun for him. Discords victories were always a little too easy and his games over to fast. That was Discords major malfunction, the only issue about him that he would ever admit was a fault of his. For a creature who had everything he had nothing to look forward to, like a child who peeks at his gifts before Christmas day, he always knew what was coming and how it would play out. Discord let the eggs float up, as he sat in the air, an expression of deep concentration on his face. He thinks carefully about what his next course of action will be… For about twelve seconds. “Hmm yes, I need to pace myself, If I wait it could be like a gift, almost like, like um… oh what did those blasted ponies call it… Hoof warming something something?” He shook his head. Something he could save for later he finally had something worth of that lofty place in his best games ever. Chaos was a delicacy on any occasion at any time, but it was always better when it was unexpected, that’s part of what it was after all. and what was more delicious was when It came from nowhere. He decided to stick to his word. Well he would stick to it sort of, it’s not like he was under contract. He picked up of the eggs in his hand eyeing it. “You, now where can I put you?” He looked around, what would be a good place for a creature such as this to materialise. A voice inside his mind one of many states “How about right here in his own home?”, another voice adds, “where better than to have a present delivered right to his doorstep?” “Oh Discord you're simply too much.” Another Discord stated materialising next to him. Leaning in like a swooning fan. The real Discord waves the advance away. “Oh stop it me, you’re going to give me a big head.” He started giggling at himself like a schoolgirl. Now then, he thinks, if he was going to go through with this the creature would need a disguise. Another idea whispers to him in his mind. “Oh- oh yes, that’s perfect.” He yelled. Why not a pony? If word got out that he had a pony in his mitts, especially a little filly those dunderheaded sister would come racing over to save her, and of course he would let them. “Oh and only to find out she was a love hungry monster. Discord I could kiss you right now.” The other Discord adds in hugging the real one from the side. The real Discord pushes him away again. “I’m sorry me, I know what you're trying to do, but the truth is….I’m seeing someone else!” he stated aloud sounds of shocked gasps come from an invisible audience. The other Discord looked shocked placing both hands on his hips in anger. “Who!? What ruffian could ever tame such a wild and reckless heart.” “I could!” Another Discord raced in, kitted out in shining knightly armour and lance, scooping up the real Discord, who was now, in turn, adorned with a frilly white maidens dress. “Oh my hero.” The real Discord swooned, kissing the knightly Discord before pretending to faint. He then snapped his fingers, dematerialised them all, as he broke out into a horrible malicious cackle. He picked the egg back up from its floating place in the air, snatching it in his tail, he clicked his fingers and it was gone, gone from this world for a thousand years, or at least something like that, who could say with a prince of chaos, he never was good with maths. “Now what to do with you.” His smile widened to the point no mortal could ever compete with, at this time. Another thought came to him to do the same thing to the other egg. But that would be boring why bother with the same gag, he only got this one shoot, so better make it count. “How about putting it on a different world entirely?” A voice deep inside him whispered out. “Oh I wish I had thought of that!” He yells out. Yes that could work, have it grow up in some crazed place away from the norms of this world, oh it wouldn’t even know what hit it, perhaps it would just go crazy when It came back and destroy a bunch of towns, or open up a black hole in the middle of castle, or even just lick everyone’s faces because that’s how they said hello on i that planet. What potential it would have? Not knowing anything but an alien form of life. There was just no telling what it could and would do… Discord Liked that idea, he liked it a lot! What world would it go to though? That was the question. It would definitely have to be disguised, he didn’t want it being attacked by the natives before it had a chance to shine. He was at least true to his word in that respect when he spoke to that royal bug. He detested death. Oh, was he going to fast? Maybe he should sit on these thoughts for a bit, would he kick himself after he was done for not waiting for the next ingeniously incongruous plan. “Nahh” He waved the thought bubble above his head away literally. A new world it was to be. Which one only his chaotic powers would decide he didn’t like the idea of choosing he would have a thousand years to think through its motives and every outcome once it returned. What a spoiler that would be. No, best to let fate decide, nothing would be better. Oh the laughs and fun he was going to have. And he was going to be right there when it happened right at the epicentre. He couldn’t wait he simply couldn’t wait. A snapping noise was all the creature inside the little egg felt reverberating through its albumin walls before it was whisked away to parts unknown.