Under the Equestrian sea...
Aquamaris may have been Aquestria’s capital for millennia, but what was created for seaponies was simply not quite as comfortable for the kelpies. Defend the seaponies they would, but if they truly had a home, one would have to turn elsewhere.
That is, they’d have to go into a marine trench, thousands of feet deep into the sunless sea. Under where a bright ball of balefire burned, shining a strange ivory white luminescence into the surrounding water and onto the sloped walls of the trench, was the kelpie capital Vol Oros.
Along with the massive burning ball of magical fire that, strangely enough, was the only bright light in the world that wouldn’t blind the kelpies, the underwater city was perhaps the downright strangest thing you might have ever seen. For one, it was perfectly circular, the two or one story houses in the city arranged around neat roads that pointed directly to a massive central spire of smooth rock that pointed right up to the ball of balefire. All of the city had a dead-white color to it, from its walls, to rooftops and even the ground directly underneath the city.
There was also the matter that the city was actually floating above the still waters of the trench floor, suspended in the sea by the city’s own magic.
Still, perhaps the oddest thing about Vol Oros though, was that it didn’t look like something a seapony or a kelpie would design, more like… something that once used to be on land. For why would an underwater creature really need roads?
Prince Typhon had mused on this question once or twice as he swam through the city, passing through the market square as he headed to the unmistakeable central spire. In the market square kelpies swam to and from various stalls selling their wares. Really large and exotic fish being among them, such as tuna.
Typhon took some amusement from how schools of kelpie young swam playfully through the water under the supervision of their parents, but found his heart sinking as he remembered the purpose of his visit.
After a brief salute to the guards at the doorway to Vol Oros’s central spire, Typhon swam into the spire itself, through its dimly lit corridors and into the central throne room.
Atop of her throne, once colorful coral, now faded to the same dead white as the city, Empress Tethys sat, roughly alicorn size, her eyes half-lidded as she listened to the reports of the seaponies and kelpies floating around her.
Bowing, Typhon approached the throne. It appeared his regent had shrunk down to allow her kelpie doctors to better help them to heal her eyes. “Empress. I’m glad you are recovering.”
Tethys glanced at Typhon, but didn’t open her eyelids any wider, which puzzled Typhon until he realized that his regent’s eyes were not completely recovered yet.
“Why are you here, Prince Typhon?” Tethys asked, her shark’s tail flicking left and right.
“I’ve heard of your confrontation with the Equestrian princesses; is it true you’ve rebuffed their requests for peace?” Typhon asked slowly.
“I only spoke to one Equestrian Princess, Typhon.” Tethys frowned. “Why are you including the changeling queen as one of them?”
“Well, I was momentarily captured by the Equestrians—”
Tethys’s eyes narrowed even further.. “How did they manage to capture you? Were your guards not sufficient?”
Typhon shook his head. “Um, no! They were entirely sufficient. In fact, I am sure that is why the Equestrians found that they could not take me in for good. I got knocked off my leviathan as it impacted their battleship and was knocked out.”
The Empress seemed to relax back into her throne. “And why were you riding a leviathan into battle in the first place? You’ve never fought as a kelpie before.”
“If I am to lead my subjects, I can hardly sit back idly as they commit themselves to battle, Empress,” said Typhon.
“Yet you do not fight as a sea pony, but as a kelpie,” said Tethys.
Typhon frowned. “Is the principle of leadership not the same?”
A ghost of a fanged smile flashed across Tethys’s features. “Some of your former nobles would have said I lead very differently than your mother. Nonetheless, you say you were captured. What did the Equestrians say?”
“Thanks to the enchantments on my regalia, I was able to speak to one of their leaders, their supposed changeling princess, Alternia, and her sister, Queen Chrysalis and found out several things.” Typhon paused for a moment. “One, the Equestrians truly seem to want peace. Apparently, after a thousand years, they have forgotten our existence, something not helped by how Princess Luna was banished to the moon and Princess Celestia was in a healing sleep for a thousand years—”
“They fed me the same line about Celestia being asleep, however the simple fact changeling queens are involved means we can’t trust them to speak the truth. They are deceptive creatures, Typhon. Do not underestimate that,” said Tethys.
“Ah. I assume then that the changeling queen Alternia then claimed she ruled Equestria in Celestia’s stead?” Typhon asked.
Tethys nodded. “Yes. Something easily claimed but not so easily proven. And you say there was another queen involved?”
“Yes, her sister.” Typhon took a moment to recall what the queen… what this Chrysalis had told him. “She explained much of the situation regarding Celestia’s sleep to me and when this Alternia joined us, I found it preposterous as well at first but…” Typhon frowned. “I cannot fathom another explanation as to why an Equestrian battlegroup crewed by ponies would be accompanying two changeling queens, so I listened and found out something else.” Typhon swallowed. “It appears that the Equestrians have completely forgotten about the existence of Aquestria and its denizens. Apparently, our lack of contact meant that we… faded from their memory.”
Tethys grimaced and Typhon could see her brow slowly knitting together. “As I said, changeling queens are deceptive creatures. As for forgetting us, I refuse to believe such a blatant lie. Even if she were asleep, Celestia is awake now and still somehow forgot us? Despite the fact she was in contact with Samudra? Explain how that makes any sense, young Typhon.”
Typhon blinked and his eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t aware that Celestia remembered the treaty. Did they explain why they violated it?”
Tethys snorted. “Something about a memory transfer causing confusion of some type.”
“That does actually sound quite preposterous, but…” Typhon tapped his chin with his hoof. “If we take their story of a changeling queen impersonating Celestia… it isn’t too farfetched, but still pretty crazy.”
“Except the fact that magic of the mind means everything that was said is suspect. How can I trust their word if they don’t even know if it’s their words or the words of someone else?” Demanded Tethys.
“You raise a very good point, Empress,” said Typhon his mind whirring. His regent was no fool. The story being presented to him just seemed really surreal, and the Equestrians seemed incredibly unbelievable. The logic of their story made sense, but the situation that they were telling him was getting increasingly hard to believe. He did have one more point though to report.
“They did provide an explanation, not a bad one, for why the Gryphon and Equestrians ignored our missives to their capitals.”
“And what is that?” Asked Tethys.
“Apparently, their capitals have moved. The Equestrians relocated their capital to a place called “Canterlot” after Princess Celestia fought with her sister and devastated the castle a thousand years ago? I’m not sure how that happened, but that’s what she said. The Griffons also apparently relocated their capital five hundred years ago… something about some griffon idol being stolen. This would explain why we received no reply.”
“And they “forgot” about us so they failed to enlighten your mother to this fact completely?” Tethys asked.
Typhon blinked and frowned. “Hm, you’re right. Something doesn’t make sense about this whole situation.”
It was just then that Ebb Flow, one of Tethys’s captains swam in.
“Your majesties, Brinewing wants to speak to you urgently,” said Ebb Flow.
“Send her in then.”
The doors to the throne room opened and Brinewing waded through the water, her head in an air bubble of sorts. She performed the equivalent of a breaststroke as she swam gingerly toward the foot of Tethys’s throne. When she finally got there, she set her hooves on the ground, and opened her mouth. She stopped immediately at the warning look in Ebb Flow’s eyes and dipped her head respectfully first.
“Pardon me Empress, I have just returned from the surface world and have found out something disturbing. Equestria has a new princess.”
“We’ve heard, though I do not believe it,” said Tethys, stone-faced.
“Oh. Well uhh, you should.” Brinewing blinked and froze as she spluttered. “I mean. I have some uhhh evidence that seems to suggest that that is true.”
“What evidence is that?”
Brinewing took off her saddlebags and pulled out several items, all of which had been waterproofed by seapony magic beforehand. Several newspapers, a book, what looked like a toy flag and a recording crystal.
“These are newspapers. They document current events in Equestria and the ones I have describe how the changeling became Equestria’s ruler, apparently a thousand years ago—”
“Yes, we have heard this however as the young Prince and I were discussing, there is a slight matter of manipulation of a certain Princess's memory that has called events into question,” said Tethys in a firm tone.
“Well the thing is, Empress, I have gotten newspapers from several different organizations, and they all tell the exact same story. Celestia passed her crown to this Princess Alternia a thousand years ago after fighting with Nightmare Moon and went to sleep. I mean it is a preposterous story, but as Equestria isn’t in rebellion I can’t say it isn’t true,” explained Brinewing.
“The problem is they all have the same source. Celestia and whatever the younger is called.”
“Luna, that’s the younger princess. But the thing is, they’ve even altered the school textbooks.” Brinewing punted the book to Tethys, who made no move to pick it up. “While yeah, perhaps you can mind control the alicorns, but these things take ages to change. I know, I went to an Equestrian school and yet within a few months they’ve already confirmed the story?”
Tethys was unconvinced, and gave Brinewing a flat stare. “Months to cement the truth or another lie? They don’t need to control all of the government, just key members. Two alicorns and whatever other ponies they need to solidify their control. How many queens are there involved?”
A thoughtful look came over Brinewing’s features. “Apparently four in total, counting Princess Alternia. Her sisters apparently.”
“Four queens, which means four hives worth of changelings to feed. Brinewing, you’ve seen your fellow ponies current attitudes. Do you think an entire country would feed these changelings?” Tethys asked.
“Well, now that you put it that way… yes. But that’s not the point. We’re talking about Equestria, the entirety of Equestria, somehow accepting that a changeling queen is one of their monarchs, to the point they’ve changed the flag itself!” Brinewing waved the toy flag she had brought. Instead of just two alicorns circling the sun and moon, now there were three, a changeling and two alicorns in Celestia and Luna’s colors. “Got that off of a souvenir shop. Yeah, perhaps you can mind control the right ponies, but that’s a LOT of mind controlled ponies if that’s the case. And what would be the payoff? It exposes all the changelings at the same time. They could just control the alicorn sisters if they wanted to. Why make one of them a ruler?”
Tethys paused for a moment before she spoke. “Granted it is very different from past methods employed by changelings, but if done right, it could guarantee an immense food source for their changelings. Mind control a few key ponies, fabricate a story about one being their leader for ages and initiate a merging of pony and changeling cultures. If it goes well, then they are set for several lifetimes as well as secure a major world power for their own.
“Well I don’t know about you, but words right from an Element of Harmony who figured out the changelings’ ruse at the Canterlot Wedding seem quite reputable. I talked to her actually and she later confirmed that story over the radio and explained a few things too… Uh, radio is basically how they spread stories through speakers placed all over the country.”
“Perhaps, but I still cannot bring myself to believe what they say. The best lies are half truth. The consequences of believing them are dire.”
“Can we not give this a chance though, Empress? Why fight a war when we can get what we want through peace?” Typhon asked.
Tethys turned to Typhon. “Several reasons, young prince. For one, we know they can quickly replenish what naval forces have been lost whilst it takes years for us to regrow our leviathans and dragon turtles. We have won this time and perhaps we will win in future battles, but there is no guarantee we will always do so. A cease fire will merely give them time to rebuild and to learn more about kelpies, something we cannot allow.”
Typhon bit his lip. “Haven’t we already crippled them in that respect? Just what is the point with continuing this war for our waters?”
The Empress didn’t answer Typhon’s question. Instead, she asked one of her own.
“When was the last time you have eaten, Typhon?”
“Uhhh… not too long ago, Empress,” said Typhon, caught off guard.
Tethys shook her head. “I don’t mean a snack fish. I mean when was the last time you have eaten.”
Typhon blinked and a look of realization came over his features and he grimaced. “A long time ago. I haven’t had time to hunt as of late.”
The Empress narrowed her eyes reprovingly at Typhon before turning to Ebb Flow. “Ebb, bring the Prince a prisoner.” Turning back the Empress stepped out from her throne. “Typhon, you know why your mother imprisoned kelpies. And now not only are we free, we have started to merge with the sea pony kingdom.”
“Which means our goals are theirs and theirs are ours. We need to continue this war not just for our waters, but so that we don’t go mad and restart a bloodbath,” said Typhon in a slow, resigned tone.
Tethys nodded once. “Precisely, Typhon. What will the kelpies feed on if the war is over? Your subjects? This war is not just to secure our place as a sovereign nation and secure our waters, it’s also feeding the kelpies, feeding you. Until we have an alternate food source, then there is no other choice unless we wish our species to fall upon one another.”
“You’re right.” Typhon sighed. “Can we at least check if the Equestrians are truly mind controlled by the changelings? We still need to figure out precisely the nature of our enemy, whether it is the changelings or the Equestrians.”
“Then we’ll need an expert on changeling behavior.” Tethys faced Ebb Flow and asked, “Where’s Murmillar?”
“She went for a swim outside,” replied Ebb Flow.
Tethys nodded. “Fetch her.”
Murmillar, Changeling Queen of the Sea Snakes, had seen better days. As Ebb Flow brought the changeling queen in, she moved slowly through the water. Her bronze colored mane was groomed, but long, uncut, and salt-encrusted towards the scalp. Her gaunt cheeks and thinner legs showed signs of love deprivation. The fact that she never had been the tallest or most well-built of changeling queens didn’t help either. Yet, she maintained a calm smile despite the guards flanking her and her amber eyes shone with sharp intelligence.
“How can I serve you today, your majesty?” Murmillar asked.
Typhon briefly explained the situation to Murmillar, all the while, watching the air-bubble trapped features of the bronze-haired queen. Yet, in spite of all the news, the queen remained unfazed, her expression impassive as the situation was described to her.
“Ah, I see. So you wish to ask me about this queen called Alternia?” Murmillar asked.
“Yes,” said Tethys.
“What do you wish to know specifically?”
Tethys’s gaze bored straight into the changeling’s eyes. “Were you aware of this changeling plan to take over Equestria?”
Murmillar pursed her lips thoughtfully. “No. Though I doubt this was the case.”
“There are four of your fellow queens in a perfect position to assume control of Equestria if they manage to successfully merge changeling culture with pony culture. How is this not the case?” Tethys asked, her voice stoic, but clear disbelief in her words.
Murmillar took a deep breath, trying not to grimace as she tasted the rather salty and stale air in her bubble.
“First of all, I know of most of these queens. The eldest being Queen Chrysalis, her third sister, Queen Simulacris, who is a close friend of mine. I even have talked to their youngest sister, Queen Belladonna, who tends to keep a low profile even as changeling queens go. However, this is the first time I’ve heard anything about Queen Alternia being alive.”
“Then how do you know their intent when you don’t know this Alternia?”demanded Tethys.
Murmillar smiled. “I’m getting to that. The thing is, Queen Alternia’s supposed to be dead. I assume you know about Nightmare Moon?”
“Better than you know. What of her?”
Typhon, Murmillar and Ebb Flow were all puzzled by Tethys’s reply, but stored that thought away for the moment and continued on.
“According to Queen Belladonna, around the time when Nightmare Moon rebelled against Celestia, Queen Chrysalis killed Alternia along with their mother, one of our most respected queens, Queen Chamelia.” Murmillar grimaced. “Granted, I wasn’t born then, but I’ve done some of my own independent research. I found that Queen Chamelia and queen Alternia seemed to disappear quite conveniently around the time that Chrysalis became the queen of her mother’s hive, which was somehow weaker than before. This is rather odd, considering that Chamelia’s hive was one of the largest in the world and her two younger daughters, that is, Simulacris and Belladonna have previously established successful hives. It made no sense why Alternia wouldn’t have been able to do so.”
Tethys’s eyes narrowed. “So matricide and usurpation, all from one of the known queens involved. You are not doing a good job of convincing me, Murmillar.”
Murmillar smiled sheepishly, but then narrowed her eyes. “Consider this then. I was admittedly skeptical of Belladonna’s account, so upon my insistence, Belladonna showed me magically stored memories taken from Queen Alternia’s chevaliers.” Murmillar grimaced. “Alternia was run clean through with a spear through her abdomen, a mortal wound, before she was teleported out of her mother’s hive, and assumed to be dead. I have no idea how she could have survived that unless she had magical help from somebody of immense power…” Murmillar grinned. “Now consider that Chamelia’s hive is located in the Everfree Forest, not too far from the Castle of the Two Pony sisters, where the battle between Celestia and Nightmare Moon took place.”
“Also where I lost a hundred good warriors that night. The price of trusting ponies to actually carry through with a deal.”
Murmillar blinked. “Huh, I did not know that. What happened, if I may ask?”
A scowl came over Tethys’s features, thought it wasn’t directed at Murmillar. “As you know, the battle between Celestia and Nightmare Moon wasn’t immediate. The dark one escaped long enough to gather some support and so she came to me. How she knew of us, I don’t know, but she came with a bargain too good to pass up. A hundred of my best warriors for a chance to be free of the “tyranny of the sun”, so she offered. With my kelpie under siege by Samudra and a chance to return to the surface after millennia in the abyss, I accepted. I never got those warriors back and Nightmare Moon was banished. According to the sole survivor, it was Celestia herself who attacked my soldiers, burning them from the sky when they managed to push the guard back.”
“I always wondered why Celestia was never able to bring the full might of her Royal Guard to bear against her sister… but I digress. I was talking about Alternia correct?” inquired Murmillar.
“Yes.”
The changeling queen paused for a moment and said, slowly, “If you ask me, the story about Alternia impersonating Celestia for a thousand years is probably valid. It’s not a far stretch to think Alternia was teleported outside the Castle of the Two Pony sisters, where Celestia could have saved her and where the pair could have agreed on the switch. It’s the only story that explains how Queen Alternia could have survived when all her sisters thought her to be dead.”
“Yet they know she’s alive now and part of the pony triumvirate and yet the kin slayer is not only alive, but welcomed in Equestria,” retorted Tethys.
Murmillar nodded. “I must say that that part surprises me as much as it does you. However, I’m not entirely sure from the memories Belladonna showed me, that Chrysalis meant to kill her mother. It was more along the lines of Chamelia was trying to protect Alternia and was killed doing that.”
Tethys nodded once in understanding, but then her eyes started to narrow as she regarded the queen.
“And how is it you come by these memories, Murmillar? It was to my understanding you queens do not work well together. I could understand cooperation between siblings, but with foreign queens?”
Murmillar chuckled. “We’re all changelings, Empress Tethys, and are, well… were at this point, one of the most persecuted races in the world. We could hardly survive without some interaction with each other outside of our immediate families.”
“And I’m to believe you just encounter these changelings from across the sea by pure accident? Changelings whose actions and their consequences played a part in the founding of your host nation, Venecia?” Tethys asked.
“Well of course not, Empress Tethys. Queen Belladonna and I met several times deliberately. She had an information network on the Equestrian mainland and I had one at sea in Venecia. We traded information to benefit each of our hives,” replied Murmillar, still smiling.
Tethys’s frown only intensified. “And just how extensive are these networks? Earlier you mentioned this Simulacris as a friend or ally as well. That’s two other changeling queens and I doubt it stops there.”
“Quite extensive. Depends on the experience and age of the Queen though. The longer one has lived, the more time one has to develop such a network,” said Murmillar in a nonchalant tone.
Tethys shifted slightly in her throne, her eyes still affixed onto the changeling queen.“Are Belladonna and Simulacris the only queens you are in contact with?”
“No. I was in contact with Chrysalis and Queen Sarar, the eldest of all the queens who harkens back to Queen Chamelia’s era and has a hive based in Griffonia.”
“Only four queens?”
“Well no, more. But those were the most evident and powerful ones that I thought you should know.”
“Indeed. With so many queens, it’s a wonder you somehow manage to avoid conflict with one another. Sharing one’s food source with another hive would be rather draining on both hives would it not?” asked Tethys.
“We negotiate whenever there is a problem and try to manage things peacefully. There aren’t that many queens anyway,” said Murmillar calmly.
“But negotiations means you’ll need all parties involved and a mediator, someone neutral that isn’t involved in matters.”
A look of recognition appeared to dawn over Murmillar’s features. “Oh, you’re talking about the Queens Council.”
“Considering you’ve been willingly obtuse about it, yes,” said Tethys.
“Well I wasn’t sure what you wanted to know.” Murmillar smiled. “The Queens Council is the governing body of sorts of the changeling queens. It meets once every two years or whenever there is a major crisis at hoof and together the queens mediate any disputes, while also sharing beneficial information.”
“I see. Have there been any recent councils about current events?” asked Tethys.
“Yes, but it was while I was being a guest at your court,” said Murmillar gingerly. “That being said… rumor has it the council was arranged to demand an explanation from Queen Chrysalis and her sisters about the situation Equestria was in and as to why Queen Alternia was somehow alive once more.”
“And how do you manage to coordinate such a meeting with so many queens from all over?
Murmillar sighed almost regretfully. “Through a long and painstaking process of messages between hives, which means that not all of the queens can meet at a time because some hives move around, but it’s the best we can do. That being said. I really wish I was at the council because I would very much like to know how Alternia convinced them not to execute Chrysalis.”
“So long and painstaking message running that runs the risk of interception is the best the changelings have come up with for long distance communication?” Tethys asked.
“Changelings are not the most powerful of species. I was captured by you after all.”
Several of the tentacles on Tethys head twitched. “But you are the most subversive and deceptive species. Masters of disguise and lying. One of your kind has impersonated a world leader for a thousand years with no one suspecting a thing.”
“I thought you didn’t believe that Queen Alternia impersonated Celestia?”
“My personal belief is irrelevant if the facts point to an obvious solution,” said Tethys in a rather blunt tone.
Murmillar nodded. “Of course. Though I would not think too much of Queen, or should I say, Princess Alternia’s impersonation abilities. Considering that Celestia was a changeling queen, she has been the most unchangeling-like queen I have observed.”
“How is that?”
“Her loyalty to her pretended subjects as shown by her policy decisions. Any other queen impersonating an authority figure would have simply cultivated a cult of personality without investing too much time into the wellbeing of their pretended subjects, or just enough to make sure they survive.”
Murmillar shook her head and snorted derisively. “This Alternia… she makes Equestria a superpower by delegating to those with talent, and allowing them to take credit for it, thereby giving up opportunities for her to become the savior in name and to gather more love. As the sole monarch of Equestria, she could have exploited the Tartarus out of the population, while having them love her, but she didn’t. Sure some of it may have been to maintain the facade of being Celestia, but that she did so for a thousand years when all she had to do was maintain some consistency for the first hundred? Phah. Alternia’s impersonation is a joke. She may have lied about her identity, but she didn’t take advantage of it, becoming the role of a trustworthy, diplomatic and thereby respected world leader instead of acting it out.”
“The problem with that reasoning is the whole scheme shatters upon being exposed if she had done it in your way. How she has done it not only allowed her to retain power, but to be welcomed with open arms among ponies. And that is what I worry,” said Tethys.
“Perhaps, but historical record shows this queen endangered her own life and her impersonation to save her pony subjects, something no good actress would risk unless they became defined by their role. “Celestia’s” rallying of her troops at the First Griffon-Equestria War at the Battle of Hat Sings being an example. Records say she suffered critical wounds from that encounter and for a changeling, that runs the danger of revealing one’s identity.”
“And you’re saying that because she let her role define she is trustworthy? That is quite a dangerous assumption.”
“Oh? Did I say that?” asked Murmillar, obviously feigning confusion, of course, Murmillar knew Tethys was aware of that, so she smiled. “No one is completely trustworthy, Tethys, but once you know how someone’s ticks, you know when they speak the truth. If we assume that Alternia is loyal to her subjects, which evidence seems to suggest she is because she hasn’t acted like most changelings, why would she endanger her subjects by seeking war with your kind?”
Tethys was silent still frowning, but lips merely pursed as she considered this information.
Typhon on the other hand seemed intrigued by what Murmillar was telling them and he turned to Tethys.
“Empress, we can’t trust Murmillar.”
Murmillar didn’t react apart from rolling her eyes, while Tethys didn’t even glance at Typhon.
At least until Typhon said:
“So why don’t we invite Princess Alternia to talk with us and we can question her thoroughly then?”
Tethys glanced at Typhon, features expressionless. “Again, what is the point, Typhon?”
“To see what they have to offer. We are in a terribly good position right now and at a time when they still do not know much about who we are. We can also judge how badly they want peace from actually meeting them out of battle.”
“And if they want war?”
Typhon shrugged. “As you said earlier, that’s to our benefit as well. Either way, we will gain more if we listen to them, and we lose nothing by doing so.”
“There is merit in what you say. I’ll consider it though it could well be a trap.”
“Understood, Empress. With your permission, may I borrow Brinewing and Ebb Flow to ask them further questions about the surface world?” asked Typhon bowing. Tethys nodded, dismissing the prince and he swam off, followed by Brinewing and Ebb Flow.
Alone, except for her own guards and Murmillar.Tethys then settled back in her throne, her eyes settling on the queen.
“Guards, take the changeling to a holding cell.”
Murmillar froze, her eyes flickering wildly left and right. “What? Wait, why?”
“Because you’re withholding information.”
The queen frowned. “What information?”
Tethys peerlessly stared down at Murmillar, black eyes darker than night. “Do you truly expect me to believe your fellow queens to rely on runners and physical messages to coordinate on at least a nation level? When until recently, secrecy has been key to your existence?”
Murmillar grimaced and for a moment, she looked as if she had swallowed something incredibly sour. “Alright you got me. We do use runners, but we have another method of communication.”
“And why did you not mention this earlier?” Tethys asked coolly.
“Let me explain. The Queens of every hive use a crystals called Queen Crystals to communicate across the world with one another. Every crystal is linked with one another in a vast network. By channeling their magic through the crystal, all queens can communicate telepathically with one another instantaneously.”
“That does not explain why you did not mention this earlier or why you attempted to deceive me.”
“Well, because of the Queen Crystal’s ability to allow us to communicate instantaneously, changeling tradition and rules within the Queens Council forbids the queens from talking about it to any non-queen.”
“So you thought rules and tradition are worth more than your own life?” Demanded Tethys.
“It is more like I consider them guidelines as to what I should or should not do in a situation that is vastly out of my control. I’m sure you recognize that knowledge of the Queen Crystals is dangerous, but considering my current position…” Murmillar swallowed. “I was forced to reconsider what I should do.”
Tethys crossed several over her tentacles and slowly, methodically started to rub them together, and Murmillar was forced to flatten her ears as the armor plates of the appendages scraped against each other, creating an uncomfortable, rasping noise.
“And yet you attempted to lie about them in the first place. Considering what we were talking about earlier, you should see why I find this behavior so dubious. I do not keep you for the company, I keep you for potential insight. Making me question how useful you really are is not a wise move.”
Murmillar swallowed and bowed, her head sinking low to the floor. “Forgive me, Empress, you are right. It is just that... giving knowledge of the Queen Crystals to any being is tantamount to signing my own death warrant. The Queens Council pride their secrecy very highly and ruthlessly punish any wrongdoers…”
“How so?” Asked Tethys, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
Murmillar cringed. “Execution through a rather wide variety of means. Poison is a favorite, as is the old fashioned caving in of the skull. The Queens Council was established to prevent changeling queens from revealing our race’s secrets after all. I am fairly certain the only reason why Queen Chrysalis is not dead is because of her sister’s position in the Equestrian government, and even then, there is likely some humiliation the council has forced Chrysalis to undergo due to her transgression.” Murmillar blinked. “Actually, it may be that the council ordered Chrysalis to escort Alternia into waters they know to be inhabited by kelpies… that sounds like them.”
“So execution. About how often does that happen?”
Murmillar frowned. “I must admit that I am slightly disturbed by your interest, but they usually happen about once in a few decades… depending on whether the changeling queen survives to be tried and executed. The last time was Queen Ratched, about twenty years ago, who the council executed for collaboration with the Gryphon Warlord Nasty Bone Parter. She was using Nasty Bone Parter to try to destroy Gryphonia and Equestria, but it was getting to the point that the Equestrian spy agency under Princess Celestia— well Alternia were becoming very suspicious. Queen Kagura, Ratched’s mother, did try to persuade Ratched to stop her crazy schemes, but she refused. So Queen Sarar, the leader of the Council personally apprehended her after a battle at her hive and the Council then fed her poison, cyanide I believe. To be honest, I think it was a mercy to execute Ratched at that point, considering the battle wounds Sarar had inflicted upon her.” Murmillar didn’t mention that she had provided the information that allowed Sarar to apprehend Ratched.
“What became of Ratched’s hive?” Tethys asked.
“There wasn’t much left of it after Queen Sarar was through. There’s a reason Sarar’s lived for more than a thousand years, she’s utterly ruthless and her hive is full of extremely experienced fighters. All of Ratched’s children, of whom one was a queen were killed in the battle, leaving only some changeling young, who were judged innocent and dispersed amongst the other hives, particularly Queen Kagura’s. Queen Ratched did get a proper burial… it was Queen Kagura’s chief stipulation for allowing Queen Sarar to kill her daughter without consequence.”
“So captured, force fed poison, and had her hive dispersed.”
“The worst case scenario for a queen,” explained Murmillar.
“Possibly. Shame they tainted the meat so. What do you think they’d do to me if given the chance?” Tethys inquired.
Pausing for a moment, Murmillar’s brow relaxed. “Huh. Assuming that they’d even want to kill you considering that your kelpies would likely slaughter our kind out of revenge, that is an interesting question. I’d think they’d be quick about it and they’d make doubly sure. Fast acting poison, a sharp killing blow using some kind of projectile or melee, if they knew exactly where to hit, and they’d combine multiple methods for redundancy.”
“Shame. Say what you will about my methods, I actually faced Samudra in combat. And to their credit, Celestia and Alternia faced me as well. Seems like your fellow queens don’t see much merit in stepping down to face an enemy without an army, even one with nothing left.”
“They pride themselves in what they see as efficiency, and as I’ve said, Alternia is a very unchangeling-like queen. I must confess, I would have run. I’m a researcher not a fighter.”
“Indeed. Speaking of your fellow queens, these crystals. How do you and your fellow queens obtain them?”
“Ah, the Queen’s Crystal is something every queen of a hive creates for their queen daughters before they set out in a sort of hereditary ritual ingrained in our memory. I can’t duplicate the process for you as it’d require my daughter to be here.” The full truth was that Murmillar just needed some of her daughter’s blood and that the ritual was actually just a technique passed down from mother to daughter, but she wasn’t going to say that. “Also, it is my duty to inform you that there is one major safeguard to the crystals.”
“Such as?”
“Non-queens can use and communicate in the network, but once the user “speaks” in the link, they express their emotions, and so any queen would be able to tell my emotional state if I communicate, or yours if you tried.”
“But you can listen. However how do I know you won’t willingly give it away?
That question elicited a groan from Murmillar. “Well, if you’re in contact with the crystal with me, then you’d be able to listen in on the link, and you would know if I give it up,” she admitted.
Tethys’s head tentacles writhed as she narrowed her gaze at the queen. “And yet all you have to do is speak and they’d know something is wrong.”
“And that would be useless to my goals, Empress,” said Murmillar, her amber eyes meeting Tethys’s gaze. “I want to live, not because I’m selfish, but because I have a slight chance at persuading you to try for peace with the surface world… and I need to be alive for that.”
“Prince Typhon is planning on attempting to meet with the Equestrians to see how sincere they are about peace,” stated Tethys tonelessly, but as she continued, her voice took on a hard, grim edge to it.
“I do not hold much hope for the meeting. Either way we kelpies need to eat and what we’ve gained from our battles will only last us for so long.”
Murmillar could only nod and resist the temptation to swallow, for there was nothing she could say to that.