//------------------------------// // 173 - Buzzing with Excitement // Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat // by David Silver //------------------------------// With trepidation, the drone led them forward into the hive. "We've come a long way since we fled Queen Meanie, may she starve to death." He glanced over his shoulder. "We haven't forgotten the part you played, though you look bigger than last time." Click. "You didn't have wings last time." Silver smiled a little. "I didn't. It sounds like we've both been through a lot. Let's cheer up that queen of yours." "You'd better." The drone glanced left and right. "Please..." He led them to a small room and pointed to the ground. "Wait here. I'll try and bring her here." He spun around and trotted out, leaving them alone. Night cocked a brow at Silver. "So, what is our plan?" Samantha blinked. "Wasn't it to meet her, and be friends with her while evaluating her for membership?" Silver sat slowly. "Is her joining even an option?" Night jabbed a hoof into Silver's side. "Only I have been with you longer than her. She... showed me things... Look, we have to be honest with ourselves before we go into this." She drew a deep breath. "I still love her." Silver gave a stiff nod. "I think I do too..." Samantha shook her head. "I don't, but I haven't met her yet. I look forward to evaluating that." She perked her ears. "You should too. Past experiences do not qualify as conclusive evidence of current performance." She tapped her chin. "She is a changeling queen? Doesn't that pose a risk to our well-being?" The door suddenly swung open and Fast was there in her ruddy red glory. "You came?! Why?" She looked at once hopeful and terrified. Silver approached a step. "First, to apologize. You caught me by surprise." He reached out a hoof. "Come here." Fast shrank away half a step. "If you're just here to let me down easy, forge--" Silver's magic wrapped around her gently and plucked her from the ground, bringing her into his reach where he hugged her fiercely. He felt the familiar draw of his love's power into the squirming Fast. She flushed brightly. "Oh... Oh..." She couldn't deny that she felt delicious love pouring into her even as Silver squeezed her tightly. "Oh..." It was like she was broken for the moment, unable to form words properly. "Oh..." Samantha raised a brow. "I trust she is usually far more eloquent?" That snapped Fast out of it and she looked at Samantha. "Who's this?" Samantha bowed softly. "I am Samantha, proud member of Silver and Night Watch's herd. A pleasure to meet you, Fast Change. I will be evaluating you." Fast flipped her ears back. "You must already hate me..." Night stepped up and suddenly cuffed Fast over the head. "That is not the Fast I remember. Stop pouting." She drove a hoof into the cement ground. "We're not here to banish you." Fast smiled at that. "You haven't changed." She let out a little sigh, some relaxation creeping into her. "Is it... Do you?" Night suddenly jumped forward, joining Silver's embrace of Fast, whose blush only grew more intense as she felt the true adoration of two ponies. "I never stopped..." Samantha tilted her head a little. "Being a changeling quee-" "Princess." "Ah, right, changeling princess must be quite challenging and time consuming." Samantha nodded at Fast. "Do you find it difficult?" Fast let out a snort as she became a smaller drone. "Queen Queen, I don't know what to do." She became a larger changeling, though she only had one hole through one of her forelegs. "Oh, what's the problem?" She snapped back to her smaller self. "One of the ponies keeps coming back before his scheduled time. Oh, and there are a few angry ponies outside complaining about us being here." She became her unicorn self. "Every day, little things. Most of it's resolved in a few minutes, but it never stops." She pointed a hoof at Silver. "You're a prince now, how do you avoid it?" Samantha raised a hoof. "Before that, I had a question. Will the herd's contact with you prove to be a health risk?" Fast frowned a little. "You're right to the point, aren't you? I've gotten better at controlling my... appetite, and Silver's a prince now. I could suck him dry without worry." The way her tongue played over her her lips and the smouldering look she leveled at him left Silver feeling the draining she would do to him wouldn't be suitable for foal witnessing. "That is... if we get back together." She trailed a hoof along the ground slowly. "I always hoped we'd eventually hook back up, you know? I mean, sure, I'm busy as a princess, but we all got our things. That doesn't mean we can't be together." Night suddenly leaned in and planted a kiss on Fast's cheek. "You've grown." Fast smiled at that. "I learned some responsibility, sue me. I'm not proposing I run away with you all, any more than I expect you to run away from Mr. Prince there." "About that." Silver smiled sheepishly. "I've deferred taking the title until I've earned it, to avoid hard feelings." Fast raised a brow. "Like integrating and rescuing a changeling hive? Or maybe serving as ambassador to a completely foreign race without a hitch? Or perhaps the whole umbrum rescue and re-integ-- Damn son, you sure do like integrating things. Hell, if the rumor mill isn't wildly inaccurate, you've won over the ambassador of the anubians, and they're known for being practically impossible to deal with." She raised a brow. "You tap that flank yet?" Night went red as a cherry. "Fast! That is... a very 'you' question." Fast grinned at Night. "And that is a very 'you' answer." She looked back to Silver. "So, really, what's left?" Silver frowned a little. How did he explain what the dream taught him to fear? He decided honesty was the best policy with these ponies he adored. "I'm afraid, because I'm not really a po--" "Stop." Fast put a hoof to his snout. "You look like a pony, smell like a pony, and..." Her eyes moved to the foals at Samantha's side. "Even make little ponies like ponies do. Congratulations, by the way. You're so pony, you make normal ponies uncomfortable with how much pony you pony. You embrace the qualities we admire with a zealous fervor. It's not enough to 'consider' them, you desperately work at it. You know the Elements of Harmony? Of course you do, you lose sleep wondering if you've managed to fail them every night." Silver was left blushing, but Night nodded. "You have a point there... He is constantly worrying about being pony 'enough' and is fast to berate himself if he thinks his old self is leading him to act less-than-perfectly, not that it stops him from making an assortment of messes, but he tries." She kissed his warm cheek. "He just needs good ponies to keep an eye on him." Samantha tapped her chin softly. "I surmise it's because he is always a little aware of the fact that he is a pony. To the rest of us, it's such a constant fact that we forget about it entirely, but Silver will always know he's a pony, and he tries to confirm and live up to that title." With a sudden flash, Morning Glory teleported out of the holding harness he was in, appearing beside Fast and looking her over curiously. She looked down at him, returning the gaze and shivering. "What an intense little foal you are." She reached for him, plucking him up. "I can see a little of both of your parents in you. I wish I saw that in my own." "Your own?" Silver's ears went erect. "You've had foals?" He felt a flush of sudden jealousy that someone had done that with his Fast, and he felt burning shame at even thinking it, as if he owned Fast in any way. Fast saw the reaction and smiled. "You want to seed the next batch of larvae? I wouldn't say no..." Night blinked at that. "You... You really are a changeling queen." "Princess, but yes..." She sighed softly. "If I don't make larvae, well, what's the hive to do?" She shrugged softly. "It's one of my duties. There's... no love there. A breeder does his job, and that's that. He's a nice enough changeling, but..." She spread her hooves. "There's only one herd I want to be a part of." Samantha stroked her chin. "Assuming you're found to be compatible, how would we reconcile your physical location? You clearly need to be present to fulfill your obligations." Fast quirked a little smile. "Well, first, I don't suppose I could convince you to move here? You'd be guests, royal guests. Mates of the princess in fact. Not too many higher ranks than that besides me." She pointed at herself. "I'd take care of everything, I swear!" Night clucked her tongue. "You probably could. We'd still be in Canterlot, and would commute to the castle to take care of business there during the day... But this isn't a given." She gestured to Samantha. "We have two things in the way. One, Samantha has to like you enough to approve of your rejoining, and two, Silver, the big goof, declared no new entries until he accepts his title as prince." Fast suddenly slapped Silver across the snout, making him scowl at her. "The first part is simple. Silver, get over that. You're a prince. You got the wings, you have a background. You've earned it at least as much as Princess Book Horse has." Silver fidgeted his wings. "It isn't that easy... Look, I'll think about it, alright?" He turned partially away from Fast. She pouted her lips a little. "Aw, don't look so angry. You know I love you, right?" She moved up and he didn't stop her from gently hugging him. "You'll see soon enough. You'll make a damn fine prince." Samantha tilted her head a little. "I'm afraid there are few ways to accelerate my diagnosis. I propose a meeting, tomorrow. We'll compare views and see how compatible we are. I also propose you begin the courting ritual to win my affection." Fast blinked once, then burst into laughter. "Oh! You are too precious! Where did you find her? I'll come to the castle tomorrow, around noon. We'll get a nibble to eat together. Is that romantic enough?" "It's sufficient." Samantha nodded as she recovered Morning Glory, but Clear Twilight saw he had experienced freedom and began to squirm, trying to make her own bid for it. Silver gently plucked Clear free and set her down before him. "Hello, daughter." She cooed in greeting and began to wander around curiously. With dates set, they eventually departed. Fast waved them off with a big, hopeful, smile.