The badlands are considered by most species to be uninhabitable. The ground is infertile and mostly barren, save for the toughest of shrubs or cacti and innumerable large rock formations that jut out of it as would rows of pointed teeth. The sun beats down relentlessly, causing most living beings to be nocturnal or subterranean. Sandstorms are more common than rainfall, and tornadoes are an ever-present threat.
Yet this wasteland was where one could find Queen Chrysalis’ hive, if they knew where to look. Nothing visibly identified it from any of the surrounding rock formations, and the entrance itself was beneath a nondescript rock shelf that looked as though it hid only a shallow crevice. Were somepony to look for it, they’d likely take months or years to find, assuming they didn’t simply miss it.
But these were changelings, and changelings didn’t rely as heavily on their eyes as did ponies or griffons in their daily life. Finding a changeling hive wasn’t about looking—it was about smelling.
Thus, when Chrysalis and her entourage of rescued drones caught their hive’s familiar scent—the soft smell of dew on a leaf blended with that of a tangy spice—they knew their travels were nearly over. A slight smile graced Chrysalis’ face as she contemplated resting after the day-long trek from Equestria.
At long last, we’re home.
Following their muzzles and picking up on their familiar surroundings, they quickly reached the hive and crawled in through the stony entrance. The cavity widened into a large stone tunnel that banked and angled downwards, much like a spiral staircase. Having enough room to take flight, Chrysalis and her changelings flew down the twirling plunge into stony darkness, the hive’s fragrance getting stronger as they went, before finally emerging into the Vestibule.
Carved straight out of the bedrock, the Vestibule was a massive ovoid chamber, the interior of which resembled an amphitheater. It featured two exits on opposite sides of the three-hundred-hoof-long room: one to the outside, through which Chrysalis had just entered, and another that led into the hive proper. Giant stone steps, carved out of the ground, radiated outwards from the former exit and rose a few dozen hooves to meet the latter. The steps’ faces bore muzzle-wide arrow slits evenly spaced from one another. Behind each of those embrasures was a small alcove that could house two changelings which could then fire ranged attacks through the slits. The exit into the hive, at the very top of the steps, was blocked by a large, intimidating stone door. Four changelings stood before it: two large ones in armour, that also flanked the door and carefully watched over the room, and two unarmoured ones, waiting patiently. The wall surrounding the door bore more embrasures. The ceiling was low, and both it and the walls were covered in lethal-looking stone spikes that were all mostly oriented towards the outside exit. Interspersed between the spikes were glowing gems that illuminated the entire chamber in soft amber light with jagged shadows. The room itself, in addition to the hive scent, gave off an odor of destroyed flora and charred metal—a smell all changelings readily associated with death—which served as a clear warning of danger.
Everything about the Vestibule was clearly built with the explicit purpose of keeping anything out. Even if an invading force got through the narrow entrance, were they to try and get past a mounted stand here, they’d be hard-pressed to reach the hive door before being cut down. The layout doubled as an excellent setup for briefings right before a mission out of the hive.
Chrysalis flew up through the Vestibule towards the entrance and alighted on the highest step. She inhaled deeply, savouring the aroma of her hive—everything she stood for, everything she cared and strove for, everything that defined her as Queen—and properly smiled. There really is no place like home. If nothing else, her hive always remained.
As she took a moment to enjoy her homecoming, the two unarmored changelings approached her. She recognized them on sniff as magnates of the administration sector of the hive. They were the highest-ranked changelings beneath her and they, along with the rest of the sector, ran the hive in her absence. Both drones bowed deeply before addressing her.
“Your highness! Welcome back.”
“We have a full report of the Hive’s ongoings ready for you to consume—and if need be, discuss—at your leisure.”
The Queen turned to look over her troops as they entered the Vestibule and landed in ordered rows on the steps, awaiting her command. Although they would certainly obey any directive she gave, she could tell at first whiff that some were hurt and all were exhausted, and therefore unlikely to get any task she assigned completed with even a modicum of speed or efficiency. She herself wasn’t in tiptop shape either. She was faring better than her fighters, but that was likely due to her nature as Queen: she had more stamina, greater strength, better resilience, superior magic, a sharper mind, and keener senses than any drone ever would.
Unfortunately, contemplating the state of her troops ruined her good mood. The only reason they, and she, were in such a state was because they hadn’t been able to gorge themselves on love. Which they would have… had the invasion succeeded. But it hadn’t. Because stupid love spell.
Chrysalis frowned. Now that she had returned, there was plenty that needed taking care of to compensate for the failure. But that could wait until she and her remaining troops had rested and recovered. Decision made, she turned to the two magnates.
“I’ll receive the report later. I need rest and these fighters are dead on their hooves. Adamag Alpha! Get these combat drones fully fed and recovered. Adamag Beta! Have my quarters readied; I’ll be spreading a message shortly before heading to sleep. Maintain the Hive’s status quo until I wake.”
The first drone, Adamag Alpha, exchanged a nervous glance with Adamag Beta before turning back to the queen. “Your highness, the Harvesting sector’s stockpile is stretched thin as it is and may not be able to completely nourish—”
“I’m well aware Harvesting is strained!” Chrysalis snapped back, her irritation boiling over. “But this won’t be a burden on our stockpile…” She turned to the fighters as the last of the combat drones entered and landed before finishing in a morose voice, “These are all we have to feed.”
Both changelings’ eyes widened in shock at the mere two-hundred-or-so drones in the Vestibule, before Adamag Alpha silently nodded and bowed.
“Secuviz!” Chrysalis called, turning to the armoured changelings, “This is all of our number. We were not followed. Allow our entrance.”
The two big changelings, viziers of the Security sector, nodded before simultaneously emitting three quick trills. Moments later, the giant stone door began to rise slowly, producing a thick grinding sound and opening up into a tunnel sparingly lit in amber that plunged deeper into the ground. Both magnates bowed before their queen and immediately took flight. Adamag Beta shot down the tunnel, while Adamag Alpha flew over to the rows of combat changelings, issued commands with a few chirps, and took off as well, followed by the weary, but living, combatants.
Once they’d all cleared from the Vestibule, Chrysalis heaved a long, discontented sigh. She couldn’t put it off any longer: she had to tell her changelings what had happened, no matter how awful the news was. They deserved the truth, and it was her duty as Queen to deliver it.
At the very least, this will be enjoyable.
“Secuviz Twelve.”
“Yes, my Queen?” The changeling on her left responded.
“Find a replacement and go deliver this command to your sector magnate: I want the Vestibule guard to be increased to twelve at all times, all armoured, with four in the firing alcoves and one security designate within the group.”
“Right away, your highness.”
The changeling bowed and promptly flew through the entrance
She focused, thinking clearly of her message and how she wanted it to be picked up by her subjects. As she did so, a layer of particularly porous skin just beneath her wings began warming up. A number of small bumps began forming below the skin—her secretion glands swelling. Her gossamer wings unfolded, fluttering excitedly, ready to fulfill one of their most important functions. The nerves along her sides, neck, muzzle, and all over her wings tingled with energy and anticipation, causing the rest of her body to twitch, wanting to move.
She trotted to the hive door, her body primed for her message delivery. As she passed both Secuvis, she noticed them catch her scent and watched their eyes widen slightly. Just at the cusp of the entrance, she stopped, inhaled deeply and let out a long, high-pitched warning shriek, punctuated by two loud chirps. She listened for the echoes of her call reverberating through the tunnels as she began quickly flapping her wings. They buzzed as she rose, hovering above the ground, preparing for her flight. Here I come, little ones.
Then, she tore down the tunnel at breakneck speed as the stone door ground shut behind her.
As she flew, the glands and porous skin on her sides released the odorous cocktail she’d carefully prepared, and her beating wings effectively spread it wherever she flew. Any changeling that caught scent of the aroma would be privy to a wealth of information before automatically replicating and spreading the fragrance themselves, ensuring the entire hive would be saturated with it before it dissolved in a few minutes.
The sensation Chrysalis felt as she flew and spread her message was beyond compare. The adrenaline from her speed and exertion, as well as the hormones her body produced to accomplish the task resulted in her feeling truly and utterly alive. But beyond the physical stimuli, spreading a scent message was profoundly satisfying on a fundamental level. She was directly communicating with her entire hive: each and every changeling to her name. As a Queen, the notion of such unity was pure bliss to Chrysalis.
She sped down the Vestibule tunnel before emerging into the Core Bi-Halo—a vast tunnel split into an upper and lower section that served as a highway between the many chambers and sections of the hive. The whole loop smelled of ground stone and vigorous exertion: progress and work. Much like the Vestibule and its tunnel, the Bi-Halo was dimly lit by glowing gems in the wall, but these were all green in hue, save for the ones surrounding tunnel entrances; those glowed whatever colour the tunnel’s interior was.
As she flew, Chrysalis saw hundreds of changelings on the flattened ground of the Bi-Halo and hundreds more clinging to the walls and ceiling. They all watched her as she passed and bowed briefly if they could. She noticed a number of them briefly bear looks of concern and even terror as they caught her perfume. The latter especially saddened her; distress was not something she wished upon her changelings, but it was necessary.
She circled the entire circumference of the Bi-Halo twice, ensuring her message was thoroughly spread, before locating a tunnel surrounded by white gems and flying into it. She gradually slowed, her glands slowly deflating, as she rose with the tunnel.
It was a shame that her message today was far from pleasant. Her wings and nostrils, still imbued with it, processed its contents and relayed them to her, just the way she’d intended.
Hive message from Queen.
My loyal changelings, the invasion of Canterlot has failed. The majority of the force allocated was lost, and we will not be receiving an increase to our stockpile.
You are likely to be concerned, and that is alright. We are in a difficult situation. We will need to make many changes to adapt. Some may be drastic. But as your Queen, I will see us through this hardship. It will be difficult, but we will survive and strive. This hive, our hive, will not fall.
Content in the knowledge that her subjects knew she would not give up on them, Chrysalis carried on to her Bedchamber. She finally emerged into a spacious dome-shaped room, in the center of which was the mouth of the tunnel to the Bi-Halo. This room bore two smells: her own—a strong blend of sharpened steel, fire, and ink— and that of the hive. The latter was very strong as it emanated from an enormous flower of gelatin, chitin, and bio-tissue that glowed a soft green as it rested against the wall. The Queensweet, as it was called, served as a place of rest and regeneration for a changeling Queen, and Chrysalis headed straight for hers.
She landed upon it, lay down, and folded her wings before turning to Adamag Beta, whom she’d smelled was in her quarters.
“Yes, Beta?”
The changeling was standing at attention, seeming nervous.
“My Queen… Without our offensive force, we are weak. As I’m certain you know, in the Badlands, that is a death sentence. You announced changes. I must ask: what will we do?”
What indeed. I wish I could say for certain that I knew.
“For now, we try to recover and we lay low. I’ll begin work on that the moment I wake. But we currently do not have a long-term plan.” she admitted, to Beta’s concern and dismay. “Yes, we are weak. I’d even wager that this hive may have just reached the most fragile point in its history. But as I said, I have no intention of letting it fall. You are all important, and as your Queen… and Mother… I will care for you, and see us through this.”
“Thank you, your highness.”
“Rest up; we’ve much to do.”
With that, Chrysalis lit her horn and began curling the large petals of her Queensweet around her, forming a manner of cocoon. As they sealed, she closed her eyes, lay down her head, and fell into her deep, mending slumber with one fiercely determined thought.
I will prevail, no matter what it takes.
Little did the changeling queen know, fate’s plans for her hive would seriously put that devotion to the test.