Humble Beginnings: A Prequel

by DarkWingsGirl

Ascension

Author's Note:

Paragraph breaks=new narrator.
If you're not sure who was talking in a certain paragraph, here's the order
1: 3rd person, no character.
2: Tila
3:Odio
4: Somniatis
5: Odio's Note
6: Somniatis
7:Tilo (Not to be confused with Tila)
8: Still Tilo
9:Odio
10:Tilo
11:Tila
12: Odio
13:Somniatis
14:Tilo
15:None
16:Tilo (in fluff form)

2 AB- Deep within the badlands, all is silent. The winds, normally raging all night, are still. This would normally cause some excitement within the changeling Hive Guillera; however, all is still within as they await their new Queen.

"No. This cannot be happening. I'm not ready! Merciful Maker don't take her yet. O' my Queen, Giulia, my friend," cried the now-Queen of the Equestrian Hive. The Medica (2899? They all look the same to me.) just looks on, a touch of pity leaking through her mental shield. It's pathetic how some drones can't even keep up a simple shield. Besides, Queen Amaris doesn't need her pity. She needs a friend, and I'm now the closest she has. With that in mind, I put on my most soothing voice and walk over to pull her against me. The embrace seems to shock her out of her hysterics, but she's still sobbing (Not to mention leaking all over the place, geez). She whimpers my name "Tila..." I shoot a quick message to the Medica to take Queen Gulia's body for the funeral preparation, while asking my pod-mate Tilo to bring me her Majesty's brush and the smallest amount of Nectar we can spare. While we wait, I work on calming Amaris down any way I can. I try rocking her, but she allows a memory of Gulia rocking her as a larvae to leak out, quickly overtaking me (because touching is the only way anything can get past any shield, not because mine is weak!). So I scrap that plan as fast as I can. Oh, I guess that was a longer memory than I thought, Tilo's back. He quietly hands me the brush, planting a quick kiss on our heartbroken friend's head before retreating to the corner of the room, nectar safely housed in a container in his chitin. The poor thing stiffens as I begin to brush her mane, but relaxes after a few strokes. I thank the Moon that Giulia never did this with her, or else I'd never be able to help her. As it is, I allow a few of our most relaxing memories past my shield and Tilo, Bless him, begins to sing her a lullaby, taking advantage of her lack of a shield to slowly enchant his song with his signature sleep magic. I place the brush on the floor before gingerly picking her up and carrying her to her chambers to put her to bed. She's well into a dreamless sleep by now, thanks to Tilo's spell. Speaking of which, Tilo, put the nectar on her nightstand. I tuck her in and communicate to the hive to begin Hibernation until further notice, excluding Medica 2899 and the rest of the First Branch. Tilo summons our group to the room adjacent to Amaris' to discuss the current situation.

I cannot express how much the ascension of our Fair and Noblest Queen into the Glorious Heavens has destroyed me. I have no notion as to how I will continue without her Shining Wisdom, and how much our new Queen must ache! I must go to her side immediately, so as to relieve her suffering! All members of the First Branch report to room 8659 immediately Oh. Well alright, but as soon as this is over I will be at Her Holiest Majesty's side!

".... loss... change... love..." All members of the First Branch report to room 8659 immediately "WAAH" thunk Oh dear... Oh dear oh dear.. Queen Gulia.. I can't believe they didn't wake me! I specifically told Odio to wake me if it looked like things were going badly! When I get my hands on him... Hey a note!

Dearest, most stunning vision of mine, Sominatis,
Please do not hunt me down and hurt me before you read this, I don't wish to suffer unnecessarily. If, at the conclusion of this note, you still wish to kick my flank into the Glorious Night, feel free to do so, as I misjudged your priorities. The reason, my beautiful moon blossom, I did not wake you for her Eternal Majesty's passing, is that you were showing the symptoms of a true vision, and it sounded incredibly dire. Therefore, blah blah blah Adjective blah....

I send a quick message to Odio Glowing eyes and everything? Of course my heart. and quickly proceed to write my dream down. Fortunately I have a knack for remembering my dreams, or else I would have missed my Queen's passing and ascension for naught. Somniatis, we're waiting. Oh, right. Meeting.

If I'm being honest here, I have to say that watching Amaris cry was extremely awkward. I've never been good with the whole.. emotion thing, I suppose. Maybe that's why Tila and I work so well together. She's a tough gal, not prone to emotional displays. Her obsession with her shield is definite proof of that. That being said, she isn't without feelings. For me, specifically. It's... awkward to say the least. I only agreed to be her pod-mate because it's kind of expected. I mean, look at Odio and Somni. They're so mushy it makes me gag a little. But back to Tila. She's my best friend, definitely. We're so close, we named ourselves almost the same thing! I know one day I'm going to have to tell her. Maybe after things settle down, I mean, our Queen just died today. Buck! I got distracted. Again. Stupid brain. We've apparently moved into the room across from Amaris' chambers. I wonder wha- All members of the First Branch report to room 8659 immediately well that answers that question. Oh. Oh no. Is she...?

"Tila... Are you ok?" I ask softly, hoping with all my heart that she's not doing what I think she's doing. She's sitting on her haunches, with her head bowed. I hear a small sniff and see a drop of fluid fall to the floor. And here we go. Ok Tilo, you can do this. Just go up to her and-

I burst into the meeting room, only to have my world utterly obliterated, as if the Mighty Goddess herself had stomped it to oblivion. Our Stoic, Tough as a manticore, Ursa Major, and hydra mixed together, is crying?!?!?!?!?!?. Tilo, the poor oaf, is frozen, looking at me like I'm the last bit of nectar in Guillera. He's never been good with these types of things. I quickly pick up his slack, absolutely rushing to her side to console her. I think better of the rushing part, considering I still have a dent in my chitin from the last time I got.. Ahem.. overexcited in my fervor to provide aid. Instead, I walk as softly as a Providor among their pupae over to her. It takes all my will power, but I remain silent as I sit beside her as wrap my arms around her now quaking body. Tilo is still standing there, looking even more petrified than before. Honestly man! Tilo! Come here and hold her you larva! At this point, my dazzling ray of Divinity has arrived, looking adorably frazzled as is usually the case. She takes about 0.5 seconds to assess the situation before grabbing Tilo and dragging him in front of Tila then promptly sitting on Tila's unoccupied side, mirroring my position so that our forelegs form a circle of comfort around her.

I have absolutely no idea what to do now. I'm about as frightened as the entire Hive was when the Night lasted longer than it should and when the mare appeared on the moon. (Now before I say what I did next, I must take a moment to say that I'm normally great under pressure, especially in combat. But this was no fight, not even a test! So I did the first thing that popped into my head.) Standing slowly, I charged up my horn, remembering a scouting trip from a few years ago where we encountered a.. unique mare.

I can honestly say I did not expect that. I had been trying my hardest to get my emotions in check when Odio came in. But I loved Queen Giulia as my lifelong mentor. We all studied under her (we being Tilo, Amaris, Odio, Somniatis, and I) but Amaris and I spent the most time with her. I was a little surprised at how quickly Odio sobered after coming in, given his flamboyant nature, but I appreciated his efforts and welcomed his and Somniatis' embrace. I didn't really expect Tilo to do anything, I know he's not good with most displays of emotion. When he charged his horn I was a little apprehensive, seeing as his specialty is in sleeping enchantments. I would have never expected him to do that.

What. In. Tartarus. Is. That. Why would. But. I don't. Tilo?????

Wow I did not expect that part of the dream to be real. And it seems he managed to do the impossible, cause my exuberant love to be at a loss for words. Oh hey Tila's not crying anymore! Good job Tilo!

I can't believe I just did that. I mean, it worked, but I'm pretty sure Odio was not suggesting I turn myself into a giant pink ball of pony fur. Yep. That's what I did. Sort of. I made my chitin sprout fur, and changed my gender, My fight or flight instincts have officially broken. In order to comfort my pod-mate, I not only changed myself into a ridiculously fluffy pink pony of the opposite gender (and failed), I used all my reserves of power in order to do it. I do believe I'm about to pass out. At least she's ok.

The conscious members of the Guillera Hive's First Branch immediately rush into action, each passing a fourth of their reserves into their fluffy fallen comrade, effectively reviving him within seconds of his collapse. They wait anxiously for him to transform back before they realize that he can't. There isn't enough power left among them to revive him safely a second time.

"Buck!"

Comments

[It Never Ends]

Looks like an intriguing story I'll hang around for this series also the writings good to. All in all I think it's a good start.

[DarkWingsGirl]

5066941 Yayyyy! That definitely made my night. Thank you! Anything you think I could improve on? Was it easy to figure out who was talking? I had a few problems making them each sound unique.

[It Never Ends]

5067049 Yeah I was wondering who was who you'll want to figure out a way to give a specific something (sorry best word I could think of to use.) to show who each character is. Other than that I liked it.

[DarkWingsGirl]

Made a teensy tiny change to the story