The Shell Shocked and the Settled
Ran into some issues getting this one started, but I think I have a flow for now. I already have an idea of where the next one will go, so it shouldn't be such a long wait between chapters. That being said, I have one more day off this week( tomorrow) before a long stretch of work days. It may be a bit before the next one, depending on how much of my sleep I give up for this. In this case, I'm at about 6 and a half hours for the day. Not a good thing for someone who likes sleep as much as myself. If you saw me you'd understand; I need all the beauty sleep I can get 
Her mind flitted in and out of consciousness. It was pain that once again brought her up from the murky depths. Pain. Her old friend and a near-constant companion her long life.
Luna blinked groggily, watching the fuming form of Twilight Sparkle as she raged over her latest failure to subjugate the mare of the moon. She'd made several attempts by now, but each time she pushed magic through the arrays burned onto the blue mare's cheek, Luna's body used the magic to heal itself. It was never enough to fully heal the damage, but it always seemed to be enough to break up the rune, just enough to prevent to rune from taking effect.
Luna smiled slowly as she watched the Nightmare throw another table across the room, this one landing on top of a mindless drone and likely killing it. She felt the pull a few times, and now had enough experience with the effect to know that even if the Mad Queen managed to subjugate her body, her dream walking would be untouched. In fact in order to make Luna do anything outside of the castle, the Nightmare would need to allow her to leave the arrays that held her prisoner in her own body. Leaving the castle would mean leaving behind the arrays, as the Nightmare had no way of making the dream-suppression array mobile and targeted.
"Maybe if I, no, she'll heal that too...what about... bucking Tartarus!" the Mad Queen Shouted, throwing another set of tools across the room.
Luna let out a weak chuckle, immediately regretting it as the Nightmare's focus turned to her.
"You think this is funny, huh? Find it funny even after all of the death and agony I've brought to your cute little country? You do know that I've ruined Equestria now, right? It's gone, all that's left is the ponies and changelings that are under my control. I've had to change some things, as some of the changelings were draining ponies over the link and I've had to set the ponies up so they could care for themselves in basic ways, but otherwise there is no more free Equestria," the mad queen said, her tone deadly serious.
"I find humor in how quickly it's all fallen through for you," Luna said, no longer suppressing her mirth. "The moment an unknown power comes into play and removes Twilight from your control and gives the griffons and minotaurs a way to fight back, you fall apart. Your plans have fallen through, and you're barely capable of using Twilight's notes and research to further your quest. Your trouble in subjugating me is just another failure on your part and with Equestria as it is, there's not much you can use to attempt to subjugate the mare.
"She knows her friends are free and safe, correct? That Tia and the bearers are in the care of our ally? Tell me, what did you have to threaten her with to earn her silence? Perhaps you threatened some more foals? Or did you threaten her parents? Oh wait, you already had them imprisoned. Are they even still alive to use against her?"
"I don't know if her parents are still alive, though I may look into that. As for foals, they're under my control, why would I threaten them? I need all the resources I can get right now. Nothing like a small, portable battery for a few changelings, right?" the Nightmare answered, turning to look to the blue alicorn.
"That wasn't my predecessor. She would have killed the bearers, or attempted to kill the dragon and myself. Instead that, that stallion was allied with a changeling. A changeling I can't detect with the arrays! I don't mind you not telling me though, Luna. Because as soon as I find a solution, I will order you to give me everything you have on that stallion. You will, too. Because slaves obey, and when I'm done with you, you'll be my favorite slave. Do you know why, Luna?" the purple mare said, caressing Luna's cheek.
"Because the first Nightmare failed to keep you. I won't though. You'll be mine, and you will follow my orders until your dying breath. If I can help it, that won't be too far away, either. This world will burn, Luna, and as soon as I figure out how to bind you to the hive, you will be yet another chisel against the foundations of this world."
<-(0)->
The dark alicorn and changeling queen arrived in the landing area of Shadowtalon Port within a few minutes of leaving the Temple. Din had immediately thrown the name away, arguing that gold was shiny, and while chitin could be shiny, it was against changeling nature to draw attention like that. She'd instead offered Colony as a name, though surprisingly Zelus whined that it sounded too generic and specific to changelings. A changeling hive could be named Colony not a, whatever it was the Temple had turned into.
"I still say something like El Dorado would be fine, or maybe even Eden. Something that inspires an idea of wealth and new beginnings," Cimmerian explained.
"New beginnings do not imply great wealth. Opportunity would be a better name in this case." Zelus countered, walking beside the stallion to the docks.
"Not a bad name, actually. Prospect would be another along that vein. Oh, I got it. Freedom-land! Huh? What do ya think?" he asked with a stupid grin.
"Cadance's knowledge of love says that it is not dulled by justly administered pain," the changeling countered. "I strike drones for such stupidity all the time, do not think I am above administering such punishments to you."
"Oh, come on," the stallion joked. "If you're gonna break out the whips, at least take me on a date first."
Zelus paused, looking at him in confusion.
"Such things are considered pleasurable to stallions?"
The alicorn jerked to a halt, looking at her in shock for a moment before he realized he'd once again assumed a basic knowledge of relationships while talking to a queen.
"It's a bit more complicated than that. What I said was meant as a joke, but yes. There are some guys who are into such things. They get, uh, sexual pleasure from pain. They become aroused by punishment."
Seeing her open her mouth, he scowled at her.
"No, I'm not one of them."
The queen's ears splayed and her head drooped.
"You ponies. Ergh, it was simpler when queens let the drones deal with them and just focused on ruling the hive. We'd set up additional chambers, fallback points, and seeing to the hives numbers. A while ago a queen found a way to harvest seed from stallions that the hive had captured. It was actually a special pod that allowed her access to the males while keeping them under. A queen could actually-"
"I think I get the idea, Zelus, thank you," Cimmerian cut her off. "Here I thought changelings didn't innovate. That must have been quite the boon for queens."
"Oh it was, a queen no longer had to go wandering outside the safety of the hive to harvest for her clutch. The only things that one had to watch out for were making sure the male was properly secured in his pod and make sure he was properly cared for. It was a bit more resource intensive, but it made harvesting faster and safer. If a queen was doing well, she may even be able to keep a variety of males to resupply her stores with as the situation required. Of course the nymphs would take longer to develop than the true drones you've seen growing, but a wise queen kept a well balanced hive," the mare recited. "Specialization often led to a hive's death. Something changes, or the hive needs to relocate, and suddenly your entire force is almost useless."
"You speak from experience?" Cimmerian asked.
"Not myself or my mother, but one of my...aunts as ponies classify them did so. She had to flee an area where her flying-specialist drones were unable to use their full power, and she had no mages or melee combat drones to pick up the slack. Her hive was attacked by large spiders, and they launched webbing all over the place. It left her flying drones pinned in and because that was all she had, her hive was over run by the spiders. She managed to survive, but at that point it can be difficult for a queen to recover. She was already wounded when her hive was driven out of their last home, then a spider bit her. I don't know what finished her off, but her chewed crown was found by another queen's drones on the outskirts of their territory."
"About that. You have a crown, and Din's is growing, how do those work?" the stallion cut in. "What do they do?"
"I-" Zelus looked around nervously for a moment, suddenly realizing she was discussing these things in a public location.
"It's fine, Zel. They're on our side, remember?"
The changeling nodded nervously but still spoke in a softer voice.
"A crown is the symbol of power for a queen. It's why the pink pony's memories of the crownless queens scare us so badly. Those crowns are not easily separated from a queen under force, and to remove it would almost require more force than most beings can focus on such a small thing. We have heard of creatures ripping crowns off of queens in the past, but such beings are often targeted by other hives. Not in retaliation, but to protect their own queens. Such defacement scares queens, and they quickly remove any who would be willing to do such things."
"That's nothing too bad," Cimmerian said to the mare, nodding in understanding. "Most beings would look to eliminate such a threat."
"You don't find it over reacting? I know most of the creatures found such retribution over the top." Zelus said, looking to Cimmerian for an explanation.
"They may think of it as just a crown that you can take off and put on. I know better though; Din's crown is growing in, I saw it myself earlier. It's just peaking out of her mane now. If someone were going around ripping parts of my species off, I'd probably look into getting rid of him before he hits me next.
"You also need to consider most thought of changelings as less than sapient," Cimmerian postulated. "Some may have thought such a connection was impossible, that changelings weren't smart enough to identify the perpetrator, and that the guy just got unlucky while looking for another crown."
"I...suppose that could be true," Zelus admitted. "The crowns are, they are said to be..."
"It's fine Zelus. If you're not comfortable, tell me later. That, or I'll ask Din. I can wait. Besides, I think that's our destination," the alicorn said, gesturing to the airship with a wing.
"Just ask me when there are less creatures that are not of the hive nearby. Changelings of my own hive I don't worry about, but even if my sister says the ponies and griffons are to be considered an extended hive it makes me uneasy."
The mare paused after speaking, shifting uneasily for a moment.
"Blast. I, with everything going on this morning I forgot I was going to be laying."
The stallion stopped cold, looking at her with a stony expression.
"And you don't think you can make it back to the Temple before you lay them."
The queen nodded and he drew closer, pressing his muzzle against hers. The queen winced, tasting his irritation and carefully taking a step back.
"Did you plan this?" he asked her.
"W-what? Laying out here, with a group of creatures I don't know? I had a difficult enough time before, what makes you think I want to do it out here! Shit I, I'll have some drones make a small underground chamber in one of the shelters. You won't have to be there, I'll just have them lock the door and keep the thestrals and griffons away," Zelus offered, looking around the town.
Cimmerian sighed in irritation.
"If it wasn't so uncomfortable for you I'd think you planned this to make me help you. Have them set it up and I'll be there. First we're going to check on the thestrals though."
Zelus nodded quickly as the alicorn backed away, continuing on his path and rustling his wings in irritation. It was a bit too subtle for her now that he thought about it. Zelus seemed to prefer being up in someone's face more than skulking around, despite being a changeling. Actually, the more he thought about it the more he realized all of the queens he'd seen lately were painfully blunt. It was the drones that were used to sneaking around. Queens just didn't need to be sneaky in their day to day dealings.
Plotting out the demise of an opponent through assassination? Din could likely do that, even taking into account the weather and any wild animals the assassin would run into on the way. Actually talking to another being and hoping to hold down a disguise? Hell no. Everyone around them followed their orders no questions asked. In the case of recruited drones, they didn't have a choice.
"Thus we get to the point of why they're so blunt," Cimmerian muttered to himself. "They've never had to be anything else."
Taking one more glance over his shoulder to make sure the queen was following, the stallion approached the busy dock and dropped his irritation. It wasn't focused at the bat ponies, so there was no reason to drag it out with them. He'd have to talk to the armored queen at a later time.
'Though when I'm going to get the chance for a one on one like I had with Din I have no idea.'
The dock was currently hosting an airship that was moored like any normal ocean-going craft. Thestrals flitted here and there, moving supplies off the boat with a speed that divulged a sense of urgency. Cimmerian's smile dropped slightly as he finally made out the faces of the new additions to his city.
"Lord Cimmerian. I'd have liked our formal introduction to your city to be a bit more ostentatious than this, but we've received word from a griffon runner through the Talons that the Silver City is being evacuated. A sect that follows who they deem 'The True Darkness' has made a move, running off with a good deal of stolen supplies and crippling the cities defenses before leaving," Crimson explained, waving away a messenger. "We're going to make a second trip and try to make it back there before the Nightmare's forces hit the weakened city."
"I'm sorry to hear that, though I know the Mad Queen was getting hit by the minotaurs and griffons at the moment. I don't know if she'll be able to spare the troops, but I will wish those heading back luck. Has Thrisha been helping you settle in?"
"She has," Crimson confirmed. "She's currently at the Town hall with my wife, Misty Spring, and they're discussing the cavern you had dug out. I have to say, my lord, such capabilities surprised me. Some of the cavern walls are solid stone. How did you accomplish this task so quickly?"
"I would like to work this out with Thrisha as well, if you don't mind. May we move this to the Town Hall?"
"Oh, of course lord Cimmerian," the thestral agreed with a light bow. "I was only standing by as an overseer, they can manage without me. The sailors know what's at stake."
Walking to the Town Hall, Cimmerian answered his question.
"We acquired a large changeling that was guarding Cadance when Pandinus and I found her. Vis is a behemoth, and hasn't had much to do lately as he doesn't fit in the rest of the hive. This has not only given him something to do, but we've even assigned him to guard the cavern, making sure no animals get in. Once your people are ready, we'll either move him back to his own cave or set him as a more permanent guard of the caverns. I also want you to take the time to decide if the cave is in a proper location. We had it dug out, and it all looks good, but make sure it's a location thestrals would be willing to live in."
"You used a bucking behemoth to dig a cavern?" Zelus sputtered from behind the two. "You used what amounts to a changeling siege engine for construction. What in Tartarus, I mean...I can't even formulate a proper response for this!"
"He's not doing anything else, Zel," Cimmerian explained with a shrug. "The guys been sitting around sleeping most of the time. I know he's not very bright, but it was likely a nice change of pace to have a task to perform again. Heck, maybe we can use him over by the mine. I heard a group of changeling diggers and a few gnolls were going to be starting on setting up the mine in the next few days. We could also use him for heavy lifting and transportation of the ore later on."
At her deepening scowl, Cimmerian just smiled warmly at her.
"Zel, one thing my species was good at was using technology for alternate purposes. We made big advances with military tech during wars, then we got to find ways to play with it during peace times. What, you'd rather Vis just sit around twiddling his hooves for weeks on end?"
The queen looked like she was going to respond for a moment but seemed to think better of it, chewing her bottom lip carefully as she followed along. A few seconds later, she asked a question.
"You said you repurposed him. Isn't that what the Mad Queen says she does?"
"The difference is I ask, Zelus. The Nightmare gives you a job then forces you to fulfill it. Some queens may like laying eggs all day, in fact I'm certain there would be at least one or two that would gladly do so if they were properly supplied and able to keep their authority. Din and I technically repurposed you, in fact. We used you as a guard instead of a queen," Cimmerian said, giving her a concerned look.
"We find ourselves repurposed as well, my lady. The Night Wings are supposed to be an order that fights for the Lunar Diarch, a group of soldiers that have sworn themselves to the moon. Now we're following Lord Cimmerian and hoping he leads us well. I've always been a soldier, even after I retired from the guard. I'm not sure if I can do anything else at this point, but I'm willing to do whatever I need."
Stepping ahead of the alicorn and entering the Town hall first, Crimson Lance approached a thestral mare with two colts at her sides, both shying behind the mare as the larger beings entered the hall.
"Lord Cimmerian, this is my wife, Misty Spring, and my sons Silver Axe and Golden Axe."
"A pleasure to meet you all. I hope the trip wasn't too hard on the children, I know I wasn't very agreeable when I was stuck inside a small room for a long time as a child," Cimmerian said, offering a hoof to the Misty. She tapped it in greeting and Thrisha spoke.
"Things are going smoothly, if that's what you're going to ask, Cimmerian," the old hen said with a sigh as she continued pouring over papers scattered over her desk. "We're setting them up in some of the old changeling shelters for now, though we may have to move a bunch of them into the Temple when the storm hits. The shelters aren't made with this sort of weather in mind and there's no way to prepare the cavern that quickly. The storm's likely to be here by tomorrow morning to tomorrow afternoon."
"I see. We'll be able to let everyone sleep in a dry place, right?" Cimmerian asked.
"With how tightly changelings tend to pack in when they have a reason to, I think we can manage. Things may be a bit cramped during the storm, but as soon as that passes we can use the changeling shelters again, and soon after that we'll either have a the cavern set up to properly host the thestrals, or we can set up more of the temporary shelters. I'm always amazed at how quickly changelings can build those..."
"I think I'll have a few of my soldiers take a look at the cavern if you don't mind. I'd like to know if we can use it or not," Crimson added.
Zelus nodded.
"I'll have two changelings go with your scouts. Vis won't bother anyone with changelings from our hive."
"You have enough supplies to make it back to Silver City with no issues?" Cimmerian asked the thestral stallion.
"We do, my lord. We brought a surplus of supplies because in spite of what you said, we aren't going to assume you can just put up a large group and feed them out of your own pocket. This first ship was mostly ponies to get a place for our people started if needed and to bring in a good deal of starting supplies. We were pleasantly surprised when we found out that we won't need half of it, but we'll keep some of the tools as spares," Crimson Lance explained. "Pony picks aren't as effective as changelings from what I've heard, but it's good to have a choice in the matter. Do you have a smith?"
"We have two, actually. A gnoll by the name of Spot, and a unicorn by the name of Sterling. They run the smith in town and..."
The two just droned on and on, with occasional input from the griffon female on subjects that caught her attention. Zelus was dozing by now. Nearly two hours of chattering, yammering, talking, discussing. Dinner eventually came and went, the two eating a quick meal before returning to their planning. Finally the bat pony left but still he chattered, now with Thrisha and the bat pony's mate. The foals were interesting, zipping around her once they were certain she was no threat. Their curiosity kept her somewhat entertained, but they just deepened the ache in her gut. She didn't have any hatchlings besides a few true drones that were in the hatching chambers. They were growing quickly in the high-energy environment, but what the queen really wanted at this point were nymphs of her own like those her mother had shown her years ago.
She'd yet to actually raise a batch to adulthood, and the first clutch of a queen went to their mother, a parting gift and show of loyalty to their progenitor. A queen wasn't supposed to know the fate of those drones, but Zelus had snuck into her mothers breeding chambers and found her own eggs. She'd immediately been caught, but her mother was surprisingly soft about her breaking such a rule. She'd said she'd done the same thing, that it was her motherly instinct that drove her to such lengths. Zelus' mother had allowed her to be present for their hatching but after that she was to leave the hive. After all, the point of the gift was a final show of trust between mother and daughter. Treachery amongst other queens was fine, but ones progenitor and offspring were off limits in such games.
As the queen was wistfully watching the foals playing with a few toys, something she vaguely remembered her own mother providing her with, she felt the stirring deep in her body. There wasn't any more time to play around with the bat ponies. Even her complete lack of activity couldn't help her hold them any longer; the eggs were ready to be laid.
She sent a quick message to the drones that were preparing an impromptu egg chamber and trotted over to the stallion. Not waiting for him to acknowledge her, she merely told him it was happening, and took off for the door at a good pace. She heard him excuse himself and follow her, sensing his emotions begin to roil a bit at the prospect of going through this a second time with the armored queen, but the only thing Zelus was concerned about was that he was still present and currently moving after her.
She found the shelter easily, fresh dirt surrounding it from the fast excavation the drones had done to make her a comfortable place. The inside was still warm from the fires used to harden the gel into a solid substance, and she could see a small egg basin in the far side of the room, away from the entrance as was normal. The stallion entered behind her, and she heard the changelings above close the door, giving her a dark, sealed room to work with. It only helped a little. The city above them was bustling with activity, emotions of creatures she didn't know flitting all about as they prepared for the coming storm. Zelus took her place, attempting to calm herself as her instincts screamed at her to find a quiet place to lay. She was shifting a bit, her mind a whirl and almost contemplating doing this in the jungle when Cimmerian put his nose against hers.
"Breath, Zelus. You're safe, I promise. Take care of this, and we'll get the eggs back to the Temple and a proper egg chamber, okay?" he soothed. "Look at me, not the emotions around you. Focus."
Zelus nodded, focusing on the male and the emotions he was radiating. It was no longer mostly irritation but concern that he gave off, all focused on her at the moment. She sighed, doing her best to ignore the hundreds of strange sources of emotion she could sense nearby. The changelings upstairs would keep the strange beings at a distance and Cimmerian was right there. She'd be fine.
With a final breath to brace herself, she began pushing.
<-(0)->
"Shy, pst! Over here!"
The yellow pegasus looked up from her book to see a muddy and blackened Rainbow Dash looking at her through a nearby window. The window was a nice addition to the infirmary, if Fluttershy did say so herself. It helped keep the air cleaner.
"Rainbow, you know you're not allowed in here."
"I know, that's why I'm outside," the cyan mare answered with an eye roll. "Hey, you seen Pinkie? I know she was on that bed over there, so what happened?"
"Pinkie Pie was moved downstairs so she could sleep for as long as she needs. She wasn't doing well, and her...the doctors said it's likely she's recovering from hosting us all for so long. Mist said she's in an induced coma at the moment. They're keeping her in a... they're keeping her safe until she gets better."
Dash scowled at the butter-yellow pegasus' slip.
"Where are they keeping her? Did they stick her in one of those pods? I bet they did, didn't they! They're gonna do it to all of us, 'Shy, we can't let the changelings trick us like that!"
"Rainbow Dash, listen to yourself! They've been nothing but kind to us and have done nothing to earn your anger. In fact they do everything they can to make those around them happy. They become stronger when those around them are happy. That's why I trust them. That, and even Princess Celestia said she trusts Queen Pandinus. I haven't seen a reason not to trust them, and they've all been so very nice to everypony."
"That's how they get you! You remember the wedding right? We need to find out their plan so-wah!" Dash's tirade was cut off as she was pulled through the window by a flaming grey aura.
"I specifically told you to stay away from the infirmary, pest. I know you have undergone the opposite of Cadance and Sapphire's experiences, but I have a limit to how much I will tolerate. Your anger towards changelings is unwanted where there are sick changelings that could be harmed by your poisonous attitude, and should you direct this anger towards my hatchlings there won't be a cloud high enough or a pit deep enough to protect you from my wrath," Pandinus threatened the pegasus, dropping the slightly shaken mare on the ground.
"Come, I will show you our 'true plan' for your friend. You will not disturb her though, as she is attempting to heal damage she incurred helping you."
The queen moved to the ramp going to the lower level of the infirmary and to Rainbow Dash's surprise, Fluttershy quickly moved to follow her. Not wanting to be left behind, nor trusting the queen not to try to replace Fluttershy, the brash pony took off after the pair, scowling at any changeling that came to close.
Stepping down the ramp, the mare was greeted by a sight that haunted some of her nightmares. Nightmares that she kept from everypony else. Ponies and changelings alike were in the strange pods the changelings made, all floating in the strange fluid that she never understood nor wanted to learn about. A few changelings wearing cloth strips with red plus signs were flitting around, checking on the various pods and chittering to each other before moving on, making notes on sheets of paper that were nailed to the walls beside the pods. Then, following the path of the queen and Fluttershy, she saw it.
Pinkie was stuffed into one, her mane cut short for some reason. It made her skin crawl seeing Pinkie so motionless, as Dash often envisioned the party pony as rolling around constantly even in her sleep. But sitting there in the changeling pod that was hanging from the wall, the pink mare didn't even twitch. Before she could move to try and save her friend though, another pod caught her eye. Rainbow took one long look at the pony in the pod, and promptly vomited on the floor.
"Ah. Yes, Cadance's body was damaged quite badly during the raid a few days ago," Pandinus explained, moving over to the distressed pegasus. "Alicorn's are very resilient so it's possible she would have survived, but she'd be in agonizing pain for a long time while the muscle and skin regrew. In this case though, Cadance's connection to the hive was used by the proto-queen she was caring for to remove the alicorn from danger. Amare took the hit instead, and allowed her mother to borrow the nymph's body until her own was healed.
"We're feeding a bit of extra love into the cocoon and she's responding well to it, but it will still take time for her to heal. Tell me Rainbow Dash, if your life was on the line, would you accept this treatment? If you found yourself with your wings hanging by a tendon, would you submit to this? The alternative would be amputation of course."
"I, I wouldn't...I wouldn't let myself get into..." Rainbow tried to say, but her breathing was still ragged from her earlier sickness. Before she could say anything more, Fluttershy was at her side.
"It's fine Rainbow Dash. It's a very scary thing to be put in such a restrictive place, but if it was to keep your wings I would hope you'd let them help you," the yellow mare said while rubbing her friends back. "I've been talking to a bunch of the changelings here, and they're very sensitive to emotions. You make them sick when you're always angry at them, so they stay away from you. It's not because they think you'll prove that they're evil, it's because being around you is like being around a pony who never showers."
"I do too shower!" the rainbow maned pegasus shouted. Fluttershy gave her an expectant smile and Dash slumped slightly, looking away.
"I get it, that's not the point. I still don't like it."
"Then we may have to ask you to stay in Shadowtalon for a while," Cadance cut in, approaching her healing body in the form of Amare.
"She looks...better than last time at least. Do you think the damage will interfere with the array?"
"I don't and even if it does, we can replicate it in a much less painful way, like ink or some pounded gold or silver. The latter options would hold the link long enough for you to transfer back to your own body," Pandinus theorized.
Cadance nodded, looking to the two mares with a smile. When Dash scowled at her, she approached Fluttershy with a smile.
"Do you remember the thing I showed you back in Canterlot? The thing you asked me about after the wedding?"
Fluttershy giggled and nodded, leaning closer to the nymph.
"Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!"
The two began to giggle while Dash grumbled, trying to find a way a changeling would know about that stupid dance. Pandinus however...
"What the fuck was that?"
"Uh, a little song I made up?" the nymph answered.
"No, the song was fine. That, that dance thing that went along with it, why would you, why would you-" the queen sputtered, fumbling for a way to word her thoughts.
"Why does it look like you're trying to seduce each other? Isn't that how females tell their mate that they wish to rut?"
Both mares blushed furiously, Cadance stuttering out denials while Fluttershy tried disappearing behind her mane. Rainbow Dash meanwhile was torn. She wanted so badly to laugh at the queen calling out the dance for what it was, but that would mean taking the bugs side over her friend. She opted for silence instead. The snickering was just a trick of their ears. Yea, she'd go with that.
Pandinus confusion faded as she giggled at the burning embarrassment pouring off the two ponies. It wasn't something that would sustain her, but she'd gotten used to tasting the different emotions ponies would radiate during different situations and she was learning to manipulate those emotions now. It was no post-rut love bath like she was subjected to with Cimmerian, but the different tastes had begun to grow on her.
"Hmm, I wonder if that's another part of this weird pregnancy," she muttered.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking Miss Pandinus, when are you due?" Fluttershy asked, trying to divert the attention from herself.
"I'm not actually certain, dear. Queens normally lay eggs, and this has been a strange experience. I think I have a queen among the three, but the other two could be anything at this point," the changeling replied.
"Cimmerian and myself are putting it to alicorns being a bit closer to changelings in physiology than was originally thought. If that's true, it's possible one or two of the nymphs will turn out to be ponies, or even alicorns. We just don't know at this point. My body doesn't really allow for scanning spells that would normally be used to find the race and genders of the, the foals. If you're looking to help with nymphs though, Zelus will be laying a clutch soo- oh dear, that may be an issue. I hope Cimmerian isn't too upset about that."
"What happened, Din?" Cadance asked.
"Zelus is laying her clutch at Shadowtalon. Cimmerian is with her, but she's keeping him very close to her while she's laying her eggs. The port is full of people she doesn't know, so it's driving her to a nervous breakdown. He's keeping her calm thankfully. She'll likely be frazzled for the rest of the night though," the larger mare answered with a sigh. "He's going to be irritated, I know it. He doesn't like doing that for her, but neither will he leave her to suffer her anxiety by herself."
"Aren't queens some of the strongest things on the planet when they're charge on love? I mean, one pushed around Princess Celestia," Dash said with a frown.
"Fighting is one thing, pony," the queen explained casually. "Normally a queen wouldn't be wandering around outside the hive when she's expecting a clutch. We forgot though, and she's paying the price now. I'm certain she won't let it slip her mind again after this though."
"The two of you should do something nice for Cimmerian to make it up to him. I think he'd appreciate it. Maybe that dinner he was talking about on the beach? I'm sure there's a few nice spots by Shadowtalon. I'll ask the changelings if they know of any spots that would work. I already have the kind of place that would work in mind, so if we can find something like that I'll let you know," Cadance offered, leaving the group with a mission in mind.
"Zelus' clutch will likely be delivered to the egg chamber later on. After a few days they'll hatch and I'll let you know so you can see them, okay?" Pandinus told the yellow pegasus with a smile.
Fluttershy squealed in delight at the thought.
"Oh, I bet they're just adorable? Do they look like foals, or are they more grub-like when they first hatch? Oh, that's not insulting, is it? I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"It's fine," Din cut her off. "They'll look like pony hatchlings from the start. We'll have to give you a shot of antivenin before you handle them; young hatchlings don't have control of their venom glands and while they're not very powerful, a few bites could start to hurt you."
The mare nodded following the queen out the door as she described the care of hatchlings in detail, the yellow pegasus absorbing every detail she could. Rainbow Dash watched them leave, giving a quick glance at the pod holding Cadance and shuddering before moving closer to Pinkie's pod. She frowned as a changeling handed her a mop and bucket, gesturing to the mess she'd made earlier.
"You can stay with your friend if you stay out of trouble, but I'm not cleaning up your mess if you're not a patient," the bug told her, flitting off to check on the other pods.
Dash scowled after the changeling but begrudgingly set about cleaning up her mess. She finished quickly and after disposing of the supplies as instructed returned to Pinkie's side. Maybe nopony else was nervous about this, but she wouldn't leave Pinkie here surrounded by changelings. She'd stay right here till the pink mare was ready to get back to her old ways.
<-(0)->
The sun was setting, Princess Celestia lowering the sun from the roof of the Temple and bringing a familiar comfort to the farmer as she finished her days work. Applejack smiled to herself despite the situation. She was so far from home. So much had gone wrong, but at the end of the day she still had Apple Bloom and Big Mac. The three of them had put in with the Temple's farmers, helping to give a good boost to the productivity of the farmland from years of experience. The other ponies here had a way to do things that the three had learned to adopt, but the three apple farmers had begun to gain their own following as they showed their skill.
Make no mistake, the orange mare was thankful for Machination's request that she look into the local issues that would be cropping up. The weather was natural, so no scheduled rain; if it became too dry, plants would need to be watered the earth pony way. Many of the plants were different from what she was used to growing and those that were recognizable required much more attention in the jungle.
Big Mac had come through for them though, bringing a few packs of various seeds and even several different breeds of apple seeds that they'd already planted. Machination warned that they may need to move the trees later, but the Apples were well-versed in transporting apple trees. It would be no issue.
Her brothers support had been unwavering since their reunion. She'd originally been furious at the stallion for leaving the farm unattended, but his words had stopped her cold.
'The farm can be repaired when things simmer down, AJ. Ain't nuthin' there that can't be replaced; Ah brought everythin' valuable with me. The rest Ah had sent to others in the family. 'Sides, Ah lost you for nearly thirty years the last time Ah let you outa mah sight. Ah ain't gonna make the same mistake a second time after just findin' ya again.'
The mare smiled wistfully as she saw her sister pulling a full wagon-load, remembering how the last time she'd seen the filly she'd barely been able to buck a few apples from a tree. Applejack may have lost more than she could properly understand for now, but she was a mare of the soil. As long as she had a farm to tend to and work to do she would sleep easy at night. The world would sort itself out if given enough time, and if Mister Cimmerian needed her to help pull Twilight back from whatever had taken her? Well, let none say an Apple left a friend hangin'.
Stats
Page generated in 0.045 seconds
Total duration
1,030 users online
1,965,140 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
˙sʞɹɐl ǝɥʇ ǝɯɐlq I ˙ǝʇɐɹ ǝɯǝɹʇxǝ ɐ ʇɐ ƃuᴉuǝʞɔᴉɥʇ sᴉ ʇold ǝɥʇ 'ʍoM
6971478 There you go.
6971809 Sadly, I spent the time reading that. No, I didn't have to twist my head upside down. I'm more talented than that.
I knew it! I HAD an inkling that the Nightmare was going to try something like that. Hang on, Luna, we'll save you ... maybe, I hope. The Nightmare's not going to give up without a fight anyway. Ted, you'd better watch out! If Luna breaks, you'll have to move post haste!
I wonder how long it'll take the Mad Queen to find Luna's pressure point? I bet I know who it is.
Celestia. And vice versa.
6971814 I nod't wonk tahw uoy'er gniklat tuoba.
Very classy Din, very classy. Nice of her to get hang of Ted's profanities.
6971809 ''Wow the plot is thickening at a extreme rate i blame the larks.''
6971842 ''I dont know what you're talking about.''
....Should i be concerned that i could read this almost fluently?
6971809 it's still not so bad to read as my handwriting, heh. Sometimes I can't read what I wrote.
And yep - it (plot) becomes better and better.
" in a nutshell.
I'm chuckled a little about Rainbow's behaviour.
"Are you a spy!?
6971868 ̡̞̱̳̞̝͕̗̗̞̰͚͎̌̀͆̔̒͂͛̈̿̿̾̂ͨ̅ͩͭ̏̀͘͘ͅ¿̴̬̘̯͖̱͔͞҉̧ͦ̋̐̽̇ͣͩ̈́ͣ̐̾̒͋̓̐͑͗̚ǝ̷̷̧̘͇͙̦̻̤̱͖͈̩̖̩̻͎͔̙̗̑̈͑̽̎ͤͩ͋͌̍̔̔̉͊͆ͣ͆̇͞q̸̺̘̜̩͉̥̯̱͕̳͈̤̥͈͉̰̪̩̪͛͆ͭ͗̓̈́̒͑ͮͨ̿̅̽͐ͪ̽̕͘͝ ̵̨̻̟̼̪͇̬̺̝̳̹̺̹̭͒̊̍͛ͥ͂͋͗̅̆͋̈ͪ̒͘͞ņ̴̠̮͈̱̟͙̥̫̃̿ͨͭͫ̅̔̓̂͌̚ǫ̨̧̩̝͕̲͖͓̭͚̖͉̱̹̜ͪ́͗̏́̽ͨ̂ͦ̿̑̄ͪ͆͆ͭ́͂ͅͅʎ̤̼̹̪̂͗̓̊̂ͭ̾ͥ̊̑̏̐̏̐́ͯ̽̕͟ ̢̘̦̭̙̼̭̺҉̛̅̏̓̒̾̌ͭͮ͗͊̅́̊ͧͤ͞p̴̨̰̥͙̯̰̟͉̜̬̦͖͎̗͏̨̑͌ͧ̂ͫ̐ͤ́̊͂̏̔̒̄̓̈͐͠l̵̝̗̩̠̖͓̠͍͔̬̥̀ͣ͛ͫ̓ͩ͑n̵̬̲̜͖̗̘͉͙̦̣̲̰̲͈̼͍͏͂ͤͥ̐͐ͨͤ̋̿̆̎̑ǫ̵͕̘̣̮̩͇͚̘͔̠͚́͌͊̓̒ͩ̄͑͒̄̍̓ͦ̍͘̕̚ɥ̛͎̬̘̟̥̻̰̫̼̤̭͍ͬͣ͒̌͋̆̎ͦ͜s͇͓͓̠̗͖̟̭͓̕͏̡̀ͩ͛ͯ́ͫ͒͒̎̋͋̄ͬͮͣ͛͋̈̾ ̲̠͙̳̫̣̮̼̞̰͐ͨ̅̾͛͛ͨ͑̏ͤ͊̂ͦ̓ͨ̓͝͠͡'̷̛̫̜̥̖̼̩̠̗̳̘͓̲̘̜̪͔͔̟̽͐͌̋ͣ̓̾͊̐͊̋͛̈ͯ̓̕̚̚͠ó̸̝̰̠̟͉̜̹͓͍̻͈̀ͨ̓̑͢͝ù̴̵̪̦̮̙͓̖̦͙̱̭͊̈́̐̾ͮ̏ͥ͞͡u̷̶̺͍͈̯͆̊ͪ̿̋ͤ̈́͟͝͡ń̛̩͚̭̬̈́͊̉̓̋p̧̣͔̜̻͔͓̤͖͙̘̦̰̟̻̳̜̼̟̎̈́̋ͨͫ̔͂̉͝ ̶̧̗̟͔̩̦̞͇̜͉̲́ͫ͐̔͐ͮ͛ͩ̓ͧͧ̽ͫ̐̂̅̚͢I
6971842
You, sir, are
i.ytimg.com/vi/cONmzaT4x10/maxresdefault.jpg
6971886 Hmm..... ''You shouldn't''? kinda hard to see the letters
6971888 Feed me the socks. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Please don't force yourself or rush to get it out the door. If inspiration strikes feel free to go on a writing bender, but the last thing we (certainly I) want is for you to be sitting at the computer slapping yourself for not typing fast enough.
"you will be yet another chisel against the foundations of this world."
Oh wow, that is a badass metaphor. Well done.
Anyway, nitpicks!
prevent the rune
shouted (no caps)
I think you mean "peeking" as opposed to "peaking" (different words)
so ... they weren't going that fast? If this is indeed what you mean, then there's no error, but given the context I can't help but wonder if you've misused "belied".
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belie
city's
Lord (caps)
guy's
pony's
Breathe
Alicorns
friend's
charged?
Not a question, and I don't think Fluttershy pronounces statements with a questioning intonation.
brother's
6971868
Naw, just means your brain is doing it's job.
I almost feel like someone should slip Rainbow some liquid anger, see how she likes it. Should be funny.
Nightmare says she wants to see the world burn?
I can also see Cimmer going, been there, done that, played the game, ate the Tshirt. then stick her in a Void for a zero time.
Find those guys who took the stuff from the city and broke it, and use them to shore up the defenses, with glue.
Really hope Pinkie, as she is healing, is draining a little extra off and storing it for her super mega ultra Pinkies Back Party.
6971890 "I dunno, should you be?"
I almost missed the question mark.
This chapter was great. I really liked how Pandinus interacted with RD and Fluttershy and Pandinus bewilderment about how Cadence song could be considered sexy was hilarious. Thanks for the chapter.
6971979 Wow impressive
i can't se it even now that i know what it say
... But what about Rarity? XD
Fun chapter all the same, mate! Looking forward to seeing more.
Antivenom
6971890 its Zalgo text upside down and backwards so its
6972156
Nope, “antivenin” is fine. This answer on Yahoo! Answers puts it succinctly and is simple enough that the layman shouldn’t have any issue understanding it.
Well, there's no tragedy tag, so I'm still holding out hope for a happy ending. Looking forward to the next chapter.
6972156
Antivenin is actually a correct and accepted spelling.
Cim is a better man then i am. I wouldn't be able to stand the thought that any partner of mine sleeps with another man, no matter the reason. The fact that he's accepting it for Zelus is rather impressive. He's going against both social as evolutionary urges. On the other hand i wouldn't be surprised if it blew up magnificently in the end.
Sleep? Who needs sleep? I have 3 1/2 year old twins. I don't feel right after a full night sleep anymore. More than 6 or 7 hours of sleep and I feel... off.
Rainbow Dash is lucky she didn't pull that shit when Ted was there.
6972517
Can't say I know what it's like to have children but after spending the last sixteen years or so feeding my pets at five and six in the morning (depending on dst) and going to bed at around midnight I can't seem to sleep in more than five hour intervals.
6972396 Well, he's not exactly keen on Zelus actually being 'his'. So, I think he would prefer she sleep with other dudes, exclusively, so that he wouldn't have to deal with the whole herd thing that he finds personally undesirable/distasteful.
6972607 pets?
I get around 5 or 6 hours if I'm lucky.
Cadance doesn't have the knowledge to do the same or is she different from Luna?
Spirit, Curiosity, Sojourn, Pathfinder, Challenger, Discovery, Voyager 2... hmmm, maybe I am becoming a bit too apparent that I am referencing NASA.
United Species of...uh, Amazingness.
... I like where this it going.
i.imgur.com/c88k0.jpg
Logic checks out, and I think being subtle died with the mating pod innovation.
Uh-oh, they drank the Kool-Aid, or in this case, think cheek tattoos are all the rage.
Completely avoiding the question like a true politician.
HEY! You can't go back on making him wonder.
Zelus needs to learn to think outside of the box, there are so many words that can be used to insult someone else.
The nuclear rocket idea got canned though. It only needed like 100 tactical nukes.
We know which one he loves more.
She doing the egg laying dance?
Oh the exchange of language, maybe fuck will replace buck.
6971895
I don't think Reykon fixes mistakes so I have stopped posting them; easier to just leave a peanut gallery.
6972327
I had never heard the word "antivenin" before. Whelp, learn something new everyday.
6971886
'Dunno, should you be?'
Also, THIRD ARK!
I don't think I can express how much I hate/love this pun.
6971814 I just turned my phone upside down. Work smarter not harder :D
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
Ah, loyalty. Pretty nice to see jerk Rainbow portrayed in a realistic and understanding manner. Many people have trouble letting go of prejudices, and Rainbow is clearly one of them.
an·ti·ven·in1
/ˌan(t)ēˈvenin, ˌanˌtīˈvenin/
noun
an antiserum containing antibodies against specific poisons, especially those in the venom of snakes, spiders, and scorpions. Also called antivenom.
Wait, what? Nightmare is THAT dumb? Just make metal collar with arrays and make it irremovable by riveting it while it's on her neck. Or make helm like the one in Sombraverse and make it irremovable the same way - lock and rivet under chin. Stipid piece of starfart can't use Twi's smarts anymore, but what about it's own common sense? Or it have none?
6973160 Wouldn't that require a continuous large supply of energy? Also those ponies from the Sombraverse were all but drained of spirit and energy and easy to control like most being in that state are. Lunas an alicorn so the energy consumption would be huge also she might just be able to use the energy for herself so that wouldn't that be another problem for the nightmare.
6973189
Luna can absorb energy if it's in her flesh, but what about wearable magic items?
very good chalpter, nice work.
6972714 I guess at the time, the parasite had full access to Twilight's knowledge.
Must... resist... reviewing... instincts...
Dammit!
Hmm... I worry about Cimmer here. He knows well by now that no one is perfect, that the Changelings are working incredibly hard to change, and that some things are just going to slip from the mind. Zelus is a fine example, as she seems to have a bubbly personality. So why is he getting upset? I can get being irritated, but he almost flat out accused Zelus of trying to trick him. Though... I'll grant that there is a precedent, and he has a lot on his plate as well and may accidentally be venting on her.
And Rainbow Dash. You've cranked her hardheadedness to eleven here. I'm not a bog fan of Bigot Rainbow Dash, but it's somewhat understandable here. Something is going to break soon... and I'm hoping it's her bigotry. That'll be an interesting scene when it happens. I think I can see where you're going with it... and it'll be funny to watch Pinkie Pie of all ponies tear her a new one for being racist.
Fluttershy seems to be the only one of her friends adjusting well, but her entire life has revolved around moving with the flow instead of fighting it, barring specific circumstances. Nevermind the fact that she has the "Mother of All Things Living" instinct, dimmed as it may currently be. It makes a lot of sense she'd be working in the infirmary.
Applejack I'm a bit surprised with. I figured she would be the one being hardheaded over the Changeling thing, and Dash would be the one digging into what normality she could find, but it's understandable here. She has her family, if not Sweet Apple Acres, and they're safe. So long as she has a productive job to do, her mind will slowly wrap around everything else in due time.
So overall, I think this chapter was more focused on the awake and sane Mane 6 and pointing out their different struggles with the vastly altered Equestria they've awakened in. Looking good, man. Keep it up.
6973240 True but Magical items time to craft and certain materials work some materials being better them others, depending on the type. Elder tree wood typically oak, over 500 years or more is usually the best something about magical saturation over time i forget the details on wood but the older the better. Various types of metals iron being the worst and Crystals. These are used to channel, focus, collect or store magic. Runes provide over function and control over the items effects, with each runes having its own power and effects to how the magic would be used. Its why runes are always in a pattern for a desired effect. A persons will drives the magic, but can't be beyond the items abilities and functions. Like you can't use a fire staff to control water for an easy example.
A control item for someone like Luna would need to be fairly high-end in power and materials or well something will give and she can brake free.
6971809
˙ǝʇɐɹ ǝɯǝɹʇxǝ uɐ ʇɐ ƃuıuǝʞɔıɥʇ sı ʇold ǝɥ⊥ ˙u∀
6974397 ˙oƃuɐɯ ǝʞᴉl sǝʇsɐʇ ʇᴉ ʇǝq I ˙ǝʞᴉl ǝʇsɐʇ sʇdǝɔuoɔ ʇɔɐɹʇsqɐ ʇɐɥʍ ɹǝpuoʍ I ˙ǝɟᴉuʞ ɐ ɥʇᴉʍ ʇᴉ ʇnɔ plnoɔ noʎ ʇɐɥʇ ʞɔᴉɥʇ oS
6971895 Oh I won't kill myself over this and I can't force inspiration, but sometimes inspiration holds a knife to my throat and I keep writing beyond what I would like to. For instance, I wanted to finish the chapter last night, and I did. I just didn't expect it to break 7k. Also, despite what four says, I like reading the errors I made. I'll make an error pass at a later time, but for now it tells me what to watch for and sometimes I get a quick chuckle out of them. Sort of a 'oh god, I can't believe I did that' sort of thing. If it's an atrocious mistake, I'll work to correct it instantly-sometimes with my phone, and that's tough. I will be changing belied...I thought it meant something else. Wouldn't be the first time I did that though, probably won't be the last.
6971974 oh, nothing on this planet will keep her locked away for Hearth's Warming.
6972118 Rarity is sleeping. She's working in the infirmary on the night shift.
6972156 I specifically pulled that word up a few times when my word-processor auto'd antivenom to antivenin. It's legit.
6972596 Or he would have what, tried talking to her? The girls only concerned about her friend, and she can't do anything for her. Some people become angry when they feel helpless, and unlike AJ and Rarity, she doesn't really have a job to channel her frustration into. The Temple doesn't have a weather patrol.
6972643 It's also a matter of this situation being extremely complex, more so than I think most people give it credit for. They asked him to be the Hive-Father, and that means that any eggs are to be considered his kids, regardless of the father. It's not so big a stretch when you consider he's basically adopted most of the Temple's residents, but it's still something that will take getting used to for him. That and the weird views the queens have on love and sex. Right now Din and Zelus are operating under Cim has sex = lots of love. That's not exactly true, and it could blow up in their faces if they handle it incorrectly. In a way, they already have.
6972811
Another good chapter. One thing though, something that i was kind of thinking about concerning Luna that I felt the need to share. Wouldn't it be nice if for once in a story the bad guy DIDN'T manage to mind control the secondary hero for a climatic final battle between friends/brothers/sisters? I mean, I get that just about everything is a trope and you can't help that almost nothing is truly original anymore. But I just think it would be nice that come the end Luna gets to spit in the mad queens eye and say "You couldn't break me." Cause you don't get to see that very often in story telling. You see lots of the "I don't want to fight you sister!" in MLP fan fiction. With good reason mind you, but I'm always on the lookout for stories that manage to get around that trope.
...
End babble.
6972913 I am not flipping my *****in' computer screen...
6973094 I just remember her fighting those changelings in her dream in a clip I saw, and I know she wouldn't have gotten away from the invasion unscarred. It's not changelings that scare her, it's the imprisonment.
6973160 It's more along the lines of when people have a way that works, they want to use it again. It worked on everyone else, even another alicorn (Cadance), so she's trying to find a solution along the same route. The healing thing isn't something Nightmare was expecting, as I don't think Twilight would have advanced that far in her growth yet.
6973298 Repeat comment deleted, take no offense.
6973924
1: Stress makes people lash out at the wrong target sometimes, and he feels like he's getting pressured enough as it is. Having Zelus make this mistake caused him to burst a bit of steam for a moment. As you see moments later he cools off, realizing it isn't likely she planned it. But knowing he'll have to help her lay another batch of eggs out of the blue is frustrating when he doesn't think of her that way.
2:Not bigoted, scared. Rainbow blusters a lot, especially when she's uncomfortable. She hates the idea of any restriction of her movement and freedom, and that's what the changeling pods represent. When Din asked her if she would accept the treatment to keep her wings, she couldn't answer. The question was really close to home too. She's going to be a bit cooler about the queen now, but she's still very uncomfortable about the changeling's medical pods.
3-Shy and AJ: Shy isn't in the infirmary at the moment because she was helping, she was there because she was attacked by a wild animal due to her natural magic being weak. The thing didn't kill her, which could honestly be taken as a token of just how strong her magic is, but she'd much rather be looking at the adorable foals/nymphs at the moment, especially considering the local fauna don't seem to care for her too much. Meanwhile I always put AJ as more of a family pone. She works her tail off, but most of it is for the benefit of her loved ones. After all, didn't she find her destiny returning to her farm, her home, her family?
6974218 Ah, another new reader? Welcome, the ride's not over just yet, not by a long shot.