Lazni gazed around her old home as she entered into the main cylinder. The hallways and tunnels were obviously less well kept since Prominence and Lazni had left, sort of like an old pony's house when they have no younger relatives to help them clean the dust off of everything. The brilliant bio lamps kept everything faintly illuminated, a magical world hidden away all for the changelings of Hive Lalartu.
"We waste no time!" Prominence yelled, strutting forward to the center of the hive. "I have a throne to ascend!" Lazni and Pupae stood back as Prominence called down to the hive, her voice as fierce and fiery as it had ever been. "Your armies are defeated! I have come to challenge Queen Lalartu for her throne. Step forward those who would serve me, and be spared the rising flame!" Prominence gave a cough as she pulled back, motioning for Lazni and Pupae to follow her to Lalartu's chambers.
Everything felt incredibly eerie as Lazni heard the clicking of three dozen hooves echo around her. Prominence had her head held high, looking absolutely gleeful as she prepared to finally fulfill her desires. Lazni hated Prominence for what she had done to get here, but she could still appreciate the emotions that were coursing through the Princess noticeably. Excited fire escaped from Prominence's hooves as she stepped forward, moving past all the best bio lamps before stopping front of Lalartu's throne. Lalartu was not attended by any drones, and was sitting upright on her throne, looking as if she had fallen asleep while lounging.
"Lalartu!" Prominence yelled up to her. "I have come to challenge you for this hive, it is mine by right of conquest."
Lazni waited with baited breath for Lalartu's response. What powerful magics and secrets did Lalartu know? Had they already stepped into her trap? What would she think seeing Lazni now as a queen?
All of these questions were questions that would never be answered for Lazni, nor any of the other changelings standing before Lalartu. Minutes ticked by as Prominence's patience broke. She ascended the throne, grabbing lalartu with a hoof and then recoiling, tripping over her singled cloak and falling down the stairs. She landed with a soft crunch at the bottom, still holding her hoof in shock and terror.
"Prominence!" Lazni yelled, running forward and cradling her. "Prominence, what's wrong?"
Prominence did not speak immediately. She just stared up at Lalartu, who was still unmoving, not noticing any of the world around her.
"She's dead." Prominence whispered. "She's already dead."
---
"Is that so? The decay of time has claimed our enemy before you could?" Pupae's voice leaked out from behind Prominence and Lazni. Prominence sat rooted in place, unable to tear her gaze away from the apparently sleeping for of Lalartu. "Drones, remove the old queen from MY throne! As the only true remaining queen here, I claim this hive as mine, by right of inheritance."
"Inheritance?" Prominence breathed, watching as Pupae began to ascend the stairs to the throne. Lalartu's body was torn from view by Pupae's drones, who unceremoniously deposited it behind the throne so their queen could seat herself.
"Prominence, snap out of it." Lazni said, nudging her and trying to rouse her from her state of shock. Prominence only seemed to recover when Lalartu was shoved from her thrown and removed by Pupae's drones. Pupae seated herself on the throne, a giant smile on her face as she looked down at her world.
"Lazni, join me on my throne." Pupae said, motioning for Lazni to sit with her on the throne. Lazni glanced up at Pupae, who had her drones flocking around her. She seemed so secure in her victory.
"Lazni, come now, leave the filth where it is." Pupae smiled at Prominence, who was growing warmer by the minute as her inner fire rose. "Princess Prominence will obey us. I think you are right, she does indeed love you. And she will love having you as one of her Queens."
Pupae shifted her gaze to Prominence, beginning to take a mocking tone now as she looked down at her. "Poor, Poor Prominence." What began as a fake sweetness lost it's mocking tone as Pupae's voice turned ugly, months of hatred and venom dripping in her words, "You dumb nymph, you thought you were so special. You kill eight changelings but spare one to try and impress Lazni with your kindheartedness? To pretend you aren't evil?" Pupae grinned at Lazni briefly. "I bet you were wondering why she did that and why she didn't care about it later. It was a ruse to make you see her as something better than she is."
Pupae continued her taunting of Prominence, speaking now in a grander tone, "Look at you Prominence, you disgust me. You told me one that you wanted revenge on Lalartu for being evil, for all the horrible things she's done. I cannot imagine what evils she has wrought upon you, but surely, you are far worse than she ever was already. Hundreds have lost their lives and-- it is true-- found a new life in the hive.." Pupae petted the chin of one of her drones, looking down ferociously. "You didn't care who got hurt on your war path to this throne, but not for yourself. This throne is for me Prominence, not for you. Surrender yourself to me, serve me, save what little shred of self worth you could possibly have. Submit to Hive Pupae, fight for me and force other hives to submit. If there is going to be a new High Queen, then it is going to be High Queen Pupae!"
"Never in your life." Prominence whispered. In one moment, all of Prominence's memories seemed to be visible in her eyes, flashing to the forefront for Prominence to recall, and Lazni to painfully remember. There she was, Prominence was a happy little foal, playing gleefully with her brothers and sisters. Her parents gave her whatever she wanted, living in a huge house south of Equestria. One day, Prominence was practicing her fire magic while they were travelling southward. There was a huge explosion from the hills, followed by more explosions closer to the family caravan. Prominence stayed hidden until after the moon came up and darkness fell over the world, hiding from the explosions and fire. Some creatures approached, scary monsters that she could only assume had caused the explosions-- how right she would have been if she had been part of the hive already. Lalartu picked up the young pony and took her into her hive, assimilating her to Hive Lalartu. Lalartu was openly cruel, always pushing Prominence to the limit, pushing Prominence to become the best. This life was not lackluster, however. Lazni saw a reflection of herself meeting Prominence for the first time. Long afternoons and nights spent together, doing everything from playing pranks to simply enjoying each other's company. Days fading away into history as Prominence hugged Lazni close-- perhaps at times, too close. So close that Lalartu began sending Lazni away for long periods of time. Without this distraction, Prominence's individuality and loneliness in a crowd fed the fires of treason.
The scene came full circle as Lazni saw all the recent events. All of Prominence's fear that she would lose Lazni, her best friend. The fear that Prominence might have to face and destroy Pupae, either in death or a worse fate. The last thing that Lazni could make out in her best friend was the knowing that she could never turn back after this. Lazni tried to reach out and hold back Prominence, but it was already too late. She could not stop her friend from sealing her fate. Pupae had time only to widen her eyes before Prominence's hoof connected with her face.
"I shall be the High Queen! And you, you shall have your throne!" Prominence's voice shook like fire in rain as she pulled herself back and then unleashed a burst of magical energy, sending a wave of liquid flame down upon Pupae and her drones. The sound of screaming was second only to it being drowned out by Prominence's mad laughter. Lazni turned away, already feeling the tears in her eyes well up as she witnessed her friends finally turn, irreversibly, on each other. Lazni flew into the air, tackling Prominence and sending them both towards the ground. Prominence barely broke their fall as she hugged Lazni close, laughing uproariously at her victory.
"Prominence! You didn't have to kill her!" Lazni yelled.
"Oh Lazni, I know you have a good heart, but trust me that it has to be this way. Pupae never would have stopped trying to kill us!" Prominence's hoof was stroking Lazni's mane as she looked up at her with loving eyes of fire.
"What are you talking about!" Lazni yelled, holding Prominence down against the floor. "Pupae knew that you were going to kill her. That's why she was so guarded with you. You never liked her from the moment you met her, you just saw her as a useful opportunity! Is that what I am to you, Prominence? An opportunity?"
"Lazni-- Lazni, no, what are you saying?" Prominence asked, the hubris in her voice vanishing. Lazni pulled herself off of Prominence, tearing her eyes away from the burning death to her right and galloping from the room. She wasn't sure where she was going in this hive, but she wasn't going to be around Prominence.
"Lazni!" Prominence screamed. Lazni heard her drones break off from Prominence's and follow her as she ran. She just had to keep running and not look back at Prominence or Pupae. Maybe if she ran long enough, she wouldn't have to ever remember those last, horrible moments that Pupae was forced to endure.
"Lazni!" Prominence was perusing her. "Argh-- Drones, make this room Pupae's crypt!" Prominence ordered them, pausing her pursuit of Lazni for only a short moment to order one final act of malice towards her hated partner. Lazni used this chance to get her drones started up the single file tunnel towards the surface. Unfortunately, this gave Prominence the time she needed to catch Lazni.
"Lazni, say something to me!" Prominence demanded.
"You'e a monster." Lazni said, tears staining her voice as she finally rounded on Prominence, using her body to shield all of her drones. "How could you think that I would be okay with this? You -- You didn't have to kill her!"
"She would have killed us when she had no more use for us. This is the way things are." Prominence said. "It's how changelings work. But we can change that. We already are."
"No, shut up!" Lazni yelled, advancing towards Prominence, who took a step back towards the edge. "Prominence, you're-- you're insane! You thought that doing all of this, everything, everything you've ever done, would just be okay?"
"Lazni-- I don't understand." Prominence said. "...The world is ours. Please, stay here with me. Let's just lay down, like we used to.
"Never!" Lazni yelled. "These drones did not choose their lives, you forced them into a war that they did not ask for! You have committed horrible sins of nature by anyone's standards. And you expect me to be your best friend after all of this?"
"Well someone had to do it!" Prominence yelled back, her temper flaring. "I did what I had to do because no one else was going to have the power or the drive to do it. Not you, Not Pupae. I had to do this, I had to cleanse Hive Lalartu. I will do it for other hives too. I and I alone will reign as High Queen. Lazni, please, I can't do this without you. Help me rule the world."
"I don't want to rule the world." Lazni said, her voice dying. "I'm not an egomaniac like you or Pupae. I hate you, Prominence. Let me leave in peace."
There was a crash as the tunnel leading to what was now Pupae's crypt gave way, sealing the remains away possibly forever. Prominence's face was a mask of grief as she crumpled, laying near the edge and peering down as if she was thinking about casting herself off into the abyss below. Prominence's drones arrived, gathering around her protectively in case she should fall.
"Lazni, you cannot mean this." Prominence said. "Please, please take it all back. Take me back."
"Throw yourself off that cliff, Prominence." Lazni said, turning away.
"Throw myself into the abyss?" Prominence asked.
"If you need a little push, don't look to me for help. I'm not going to stain my hooves with this mess. I want to leave, please, let me gather my hive and leave. You will never see us again."
"I'll never see you again?" Prominence asked, her voice more of a whisper to herself than a question to Lazni. She gave herself a little shake, her decision made. "Lazni, I am not letting you leave. You will stay here with me and rule by my side, whether that is because you are chained to my throne or by your own will, it does not matter." Prominence turned her gaze to her drones. "Drones, prove my point. Bathe all of Lazni's drones in fire. Bring the survivors and Pupae's drones inside. they shall slave away to provide for us."
"Prominence, no! What the hell!" Lazni screeched, trying to block the exit. Prominence's much stronger drones simply pushed Lazni aside, causing her to fall onto the floor and her smallest drone to fall off her back, sliding backwards away from the scene.
"Show no mercy. Send a dozen of yourselves to Raspberry Creek, and burn it to the ground." Lazni looked up at Prominence, and saw no trace of the Princess she had once known. The fire inside her eyes had died, leaving behind a haunting coldness. Prominence rounded on Lazni, all sense of grief wiped from her face.
"I'll always remember when I look at you, Lazni, that it was you who sent me over the edge." Prominence's voice was merely a rasp, a shell of who she had once been. "I've thrown myself off the cliff. But now? Now I will burn this world for what it has done. I will bring all changelings under my dominion. And then, when I have every queen in the world obeying me? I will smite them. This will be my manifesto, and it will be written in the halls of Changeling history as I bring their time crashing down."
"P-Prominence?" Lazni whispered, tears filling her eyes as she gaped at the Princess staring over the edge. Prominence did not respond, she did not seem able to. The darkness that had always threatened to overwhelm her volatile spirit had engulfed Prominence-- yes, Lazni knew that It had finally been let free, and she could never bottle it away again. Lazni heard a scream from above as the sound of fighting echoed downward. It was so hard to accept, and yet Lazni knew by the echos and Prominence's empty gaze turning to the tunnel to watch the massacre that this die was cast. She felt no remorse for what her drones were doing, not a shred of repent in any fiber of her being.
It was in this moment, when Lazni realized that she had failed all of her drones. Their happy lives were going to be cut short, and even if she caught up with Prominence's drones, she would be powerless to stop them all. Some would die, and the rest would be enslaved. Lazni now felt the same feeling that Prominence had moments before. Looking down into the abyss, Lazni wondered if she could give up and throw herself over the side. It would be one final act against Prominence, denying her the ability to ever hold Lazni to her side. Lazni realized too, in this same moment, that this would fix nothing. She could not undo Prominence's actions, but she could change the future with her own actions. She could stop this madness before it consumed anyone else in Prominence's blazing pyre.
Lazni jerked herself off from the ground, feeling fresh tears in her eyes as she broke a promise she had made only minutes ago to not dirty her hooves. Wrapping her forelegs around Prominence in a hug, Lazni saw her turn with a joyful expression. In that one moment, the old Prominence was back. In that one moment, Lazni realized the old Prominence had never really left. Her friend was the sum of all her actions, and for the great hero that she almost was, Prominence had fallen victim to the trappings of time-- she had lived long enough to become the next Queen Lalartu.
Prominence's expression changed to one of surprise as Lazni pulled her back, heaving Prominence with all her might over the edge of the cliff. Prominence tripped and stumbled backwards, slamming full force into the giant biolamp. There was a massive surge of heat and light as the unchecked chemicals inside rushed over Princess Prominence, the blues and greens of the lamp mixing with her own to create a brilliant, fiery red. Prominence was quickly swallowed up, disappearing in the chaos as glass shattered and gallons of chemicals surged down into the earth.
Lazni looked away from the cliff, her entire body heaving against her exoskeleton. The small drone had crawled back to Lazni, hugging her leg as they both stared at the remains of Lazni's home. The great cylinder was slowly searing the lower layers of the hive, drowning away Prominence. It was a foreign and scary place now, no longer the place any changeling had once known. Lazni did not even bother to try and wipe away her tears as she turned and gallopped away from everything she had ever known. Away from her friends, away from her mother, away from her hive. The tale of Hive Lalartu was over, and Lazni hoped that it's miserable history would die there with Pupae and Prominence.
Lazni had no idea what she was going to be smacking into when she arrived outside, but she had to try and stop the fighting. She would save as many as possible with the best tool she'd been taught. Words might be for lying, but sometimes a good lie is the best option.