A Changeling Tradegy

by Reddling Rain

First Blood

Winter was very much the same story every week. The week started with a few token fearful townponies protesting to the mayor to do something to save them from the 'wrath of the gods.' Prominence, disguised as the mayor, would go out and persuade the ponies to go home and that all was fine. A dozen ponies would go missing every week, typically those who had useful skills for hive building-- the town's masons, cobblers, and carpenters. Prominence and Pupae would always go out at night to grab the ponies, Lazni staying behind not only in protest but to tend to the drones that did not go out. Lazni would then help Prominence and Pupae nurture the new drones and assimilate them to their hives.

The first snow came and went, bringing in it's wake more and more snows. Still, Pupae and Prominence continued their raids, the mayor's residence becoming dirtier and dirtier due to lack of cleaning or care. The hive underneath the residence had expanded past the earthen caverns below the surface, the digging deep enough that mining had to be be done to remove the rock. Wagons were arranged and then loaded with small amounts of rocks, which were then carried out of town by Prominence's drones. This left Pupae's drones to do all of the digging, allowing for Pupae to execute her knowledge of hive building-- Lazni and Prominence had been concerned about possible cave ins, but under Pupae's guidance they had avoided any major incidents. Lazni's hive was left to be tasked with managing cocoons, collecting love from the populace-- quite a challenge, given the current state of panic gripping more citizens as the disappearances grew-- and the growing of food, a diet which was primarily composed of nutritious if unappetizing goo. Lazni had to often stop herself when watching drones eat this goop with disgust. She could understand their protest, eating something with the consistency of thick glue was not a comofrting thought for ponies, and until they learned to accept their new role, these feelings would remain.

Something that Princess Prominence and Queens Lazni and Pupae could agree on was when their drones finally moved past caring about the goop they were eating or the life they were living. they found happiness in no longer having to worry about their pony lives, forgetting their names but always keeping some memories. Or so Lazni had thought at first. Prominence had become very distant since Lazni was queened, and they only met to talk business when Prominence's schedule allowed. It was through these meetings that Lazni gleamed that Prominence seemed upset about how things were going. She was going stir crazy in the town, and frequently talked about her military plans once the snow melted.

Lazni had met with Prominence once in what was now the latter's throne room. Prominence had a makeshift throne that was made out of seared stone just like the rest of the hive, but decorated with red and black dyed pillows. At Prominence's request, Pupae had hypnotized one of the town's weavers to create six banners, three hanging on either side of her hall between support pillars. The banners had a completely black background with golden trim around the edges. In the center was a blood red raven with a yellow belly, an animal Prominence had named her "Inferior Phoenix." While Lazni and Pupae kept their hives simple, if slightly reminiscent of Hive Lalartu and Pupae's old hive, which had once been called Hive Chrysalis, Prominence refused to stay the course with any of these traditions; mastercrafted rugs lined her floors, carvings of every changeling story of old lined her walls like an Egyptian stronghold, and anywhere she could embroider or position her symbol of the fiery raven, she did so.

When the last snow had fallen and the ground began to thaw, Hive construction was at least complete. Prominence had placed the townsponies under martial law, forbidding anypony to be out after dark, setting up long patrols that reached into the mountains and surrounding countryside of the valley. Drones not patrolling the town or surroundings were beginning to train for combat. All of Prominence's drones had thicker shells than those who were in Hive Pupae or Hive Lazni, making even the weakest among them look like fierce soldier drones. Pupae and Lazni spoke privately when they could, doing their best to make sure their drones did not pick up their dislike for everything Prominence was becoming.

---

Lazni took a deep breath next to Pupae as they entered into Prominence's hall, which was more lavishly decorated each time they entered it. Lazni was sure that she knew why Prominence had summoned both of them, but she didn't want to think about it as she took a seat on cushions that had been laid out for visitors. A total of six drones, three from each hive, trailed Lazni and Pupae. Prominence had decided to keep her privacy, never allowing her drones to constantly be around her. Lazni thought about how that worked just fine as Prominence stepped down from her throne, living flame lighting up in beacons as she approached Lazni and Pupae. In front of all three of them was the map that they had stolen four months ago, several carved stone pieces representing the three hives in Raspberry creek, and on the other side of the mountains--

"It would seem that we did not fully exterminate our problem with moth ponies. We also have failed to learn the secret of their power so far." Prominence hissed, glaring down darkly at the map. "Two more moths were killed by one of my patrols, but not before they were returning from Three Hooves.The snow is melted enough for traders to start going over the mountains, and that means that it's melted enough for Hive Lalartu to advance. I believe that those monsters have alerted Hive Lalartu to our presence here. They, like me, are hoping for a war."

"How do you know that, and why do we have to go to war?" Lazni asked.

Prominence magically moved more stones onto the map from the shadows, placing them in various positions around Three Hooves."My patrols have spotted movement on the other side of the mountains. Lalartu has laid out supply chains. My intelligence says they are not yet fortified however. We should attack now while the enemy is unprepared."

"And we are going to fight them why?" Lazni repeated her second question.

"Because they are the enemy Lazni. They wouldn't mobilize supplies like this is if they didn't mean to fight us. Because they have done this, they are our enemy and we must defeat our enemies." Prominence began moving pieces representing the three hives to different locations while Lazni tried to wrap her head around Prominence's circular logic.

"I have been to Hive Lalartu. Even if they replaced all of the soldiers they lost when we escaped, they still wouldn't have enough to oppose us." Pupae said, using her own magic to push the pieces of her hive back. "If they are truly a concern, we should fortify our position here. We are immensely more powerful than they are."

"Hive Lalartu will have armor and weapons that exceed ours. The limited magic of my drones and my own power with flames will not be enough to defeat her swarm. Since your drones probably couldn't defend themselves against a farmpony, the only fighters we possess are those in my hive." Prominence pushed the stones representing Pupae's hive forward on the map again. "You and Lazni are welcome to join me at the front lines, but your role in this battle will be supply lines and support." Prominence focused her pieces around the town of Three Hooves.

Lazni sighed, speaking up with venom and disgust in her voice, her drones reflecting her sentiment with a chorus of low hisses. "Prominence, Why shouldn't we just wait here? Not only can we fortify ourselves but we can force Lalartu to fight us in the open. If-- if this map is accurate, then Lalartu has carefully stayed just outside of towns, where her soldiers could fight us openly without risk of being exposed to ponies. We should take advantage of this and force her to fight where she doesn't want to."

"We cannot simply fortify forever." Prominence said. "That is a short term solution that will eventually be the death of us. What will you do when trade caravans are turned away and no supplies the ponies in this town need to survive arrive? Desperation will begin, the ponies will turn on us. Lalartu will walk into the town unopposed and destroy us with the townsponies, labeling us as rogue gods and defining herself as their savior."

"That is an insane conclusion." Pupae protested. "You have absolutely no proof that any of this will happen."

"It will not happen, because we are going to attack first." Prominence decreed.

"I won't do it. I will not order my hive to take part in this." Pupae said, standing up. Prominence stood slightly taller than Pupae, who met her gaze with wicked fire in her eyes. Lazni too arose, placing a hoof between the two of them.

"Prominence, I do not like this plan and I do not want to be apart of it. My hive will help you if you go about this however, because if you fail there is nothing protecting us from Lalartu. I'm begging you not to do this. Let us at least try to make peace with Lalartu first, we do not need to escalate things."

Prominence continued to glare at Pupae, smirking in satisfaction. "You are overruled, Pupae. My mind is made up, Lazni. Our three Hives are going to war, and we will crush Hive Lalartu. You two are dismissed, The march begins tonight. Lazni, your drones will take over town order and patrol. I will send some drones by later with instructions on how to perform these duties."

"Prominence, you are not in charge of our hives." Pupae said. "Do not order Lazni around."

"No-- no, Pupae, it's fine." Lazni said hurriedly. "I will be waiting for them in my chambers, Prominence." Lazni put a hoof on Pupae's shoulder, almost dragging her away from the hall. Prominence took her place back on the throne, watching the ordeal as the drones hissed at Prominence while the two queens exited.

"Let go of me!" Pupae pulled herself free of Lazni once they were out of earshot of Prominence. "You were right about her, and now you're defending her! Why!?"

"Because we can't stop her, Pupae." Lazni tightened her jaw as she stared down at Pupae. "But maybe if we play along, we can make this entire ordeal less horrible. She wants Lalartu's hive and throne, I'm sure. That hive is much larger and once was much grander than any other hive. Prominence wants it? Well let her have it!" Pupae stopped, dumbfounded by Lazni.

"Let her have it? What right does she have to rule? If anyone is going to have that throne, it will be me. I'm the true queen among us." Pupae backed off slightly as Lazni's drones let out feral hisses at her statement.

"Let Prominence have it, Pupae. Our hives can stay here and nurture Raspberry Creek. A third of the ponies in the town are now changelings, and everypony else was either too young or too old to be of use in the hive. The town has lost an entire generation, it will need our guidance to survive."

"Lazni, I admire your philanthropy, but I don't particularly care what happens outside of the wellbeing of my hive. I'll help the ponies if I can, but I have no problem not helping them either. if I am going to be forced to take part in this war, then I will be the one sitting on that throne, not Princess Prominence."

Lazni let out a loud sigh, motioning for her drones to follow her as she began trotting away from Pupae. Lazni knew that once Pupae or Prominence set their minds to something, there were not enough hours in a lifetime to convince them otherwise. It had been foolish of her to even consider trying in the first place.

------

Lazni decided that she was never going to be able to fully understand the tricks of keeping ponies in line. She had surrendered nearly a a third of her hive to doing patrolling while Prominence waged her war. The lives of these patrol drones was so boring that Lazni repeatedly felt herself falling asleep during their explanation of routes and procedure to her drones. Lazni had a few cushions that were handmedowns from Prominence to lay on, and with a half dozen of her drones around her cuddling her sides, braiding her mane, and offering their loving comfort, she simply couldn't care less about all of Prominence's madness.

At least, that's what Lazni had thought to herself before the hissing and screaming started. Acoustics is a curious thing in a changeling hive, because it can echo in some places and not in others. Lazni's chambers were positioned in such a way that she could walk straight out a tunnel and reach a center room of the hive. From here she could directly go to Pupae's chambers or Prominence's hall. This also meant that anything louder than general talking was going to carry to the other rooms. As a rule this only mattered when Pupae was having a bad day and yelling at her drones, which made Lazni all the more alarmed when it came not from Pupae's chambers, but from Prominence's hall.

"Drone, please go find out what is wrong with Princess Prominence." Lazni said, urging one of her cuddlebugs forward. The drone gave a swift nod, their bright purple eyes bouncing once before they disappeared into the tunnel leading away from the chambers, the only visible marking of them in the relative darkness being the purple on the back of their carapace. Lazni relaxed back into her resting position, rubbing her hoof against the back of the closest drone she could locate. Lazni heard the yelling die down before the drone returned, but when they did there was nothing reassuring written on it's face.

"--What's wrong? What's happened?" Lazni stood up, feeling her heart skip a beat as she began imaging what possibly could have happened. Had Pupae and Prominence finally come to blows? No, it couldn't be. Lazni would have recognized Pupae's voice, and she hadn't heard hers among the screaming and hissing.

"Hivemother Lazni, you must visit Prominence quickly. There has been an attack." It said. Lazni instantly took a step back, not entirely caught off guard but still shocked all the same.

"Attacked? By what? Who?" Lazni stopped, staring at the drone in front of her. They were visibly shaking, looking shocked to their core. Lazni raised a hoof to her other drones, signally for them to stay while she approached the other drone and magically lifted them onto her back, position them around her wings. "The rest of you stay here. I will return."

Lazni immediately set off for Prominence's chambers. As she strode forward, she could hear the drone on her back mumbling and crying to her, "Not back in there. Please, I don't want to go back in there. Please, Hivemother?"

"Close your eyes." Lazni ordered, laying the drone down at the entrance to Prominence's tunnel. Lazni then straightened up, giving the drone a, "Wait here." order before continuing into the hall proper.

The carnage was surprisingly orderly, with most of the fallen drones already swept to the side while Prominence sat on her throne, overseeing the operation before her. Many changelings with dull purple eyes lay on the ground, a force of twenty soldiers standing between them and Princess Prominence. Although several things in the room were currently on fire, Prominence's map and her banners she was fond of were somehow totally unharmed.

Lazni might have thought these drones to be hers for a moment, but then she remembered that there was another queen who's drones had the same eye colour as hers, although it was a duller purple.

"How?" Lazni asked, motioning to the fallen Lalartu drones in front of her.

"An assassination attempt!" Prominence decreed, motioning to the scene. "Thank goodness they came for me first, If they had tried to attack either you or Pupae I doubt we'd be talking!"

Lazni was extremely struck by just how calm Prominence was after an apparently failed assassination attempt. It was true that Prominence was the bravest and most powerful of the changelings in the three hives, but surely even she'd still be rattled by this. Lazni turned as she heard the sound of galloping behind her, Pupae appearing with several drones behind her. She instantly pulled her head back in disgust at the sight of the battle.

"Ah good, you're both here." Prominence mused from on top of her throne, leaning forward and looking down upon her friends. "Surely you girls won't have any objection to putting our everything into this war, and crushing Queen Lalartu after they tried to assassinate me?"

"How did they get past the guards at the entrance?" Lazni asked. Prominence waved this aside with her hoof.

"That matters not Lazni. The enemy has drawn first blood, as I said they would if we waited." Prominence hopped down from her throne, looking almost giddy. "We march tonight! Leave me, these corpses must be disposed of and you two will need your rest for the journey." Lazni and Pupae both took steps back as Prominence's drones advanced, stepping through fire without any regard for their own safety.

"Lazni..." Pupae said, backing up with her as the drones advanced and forced them into the tunnel. Lazni turned and motioned for pupae to walk with her as they got out of earshot of Prominence. Lazni quickly picked up her drone, heading back for her chambers.

"Pupae, I don't think that was an assassination attempt." Lazni said pointedly.

"Yes-- actually, that's what I was going to say." Pupae said, stopping. Lazni turned to face her as they both glanced back at Prominence's hall.

"It was too clean. Too simple. and she didn't explain anything. I have more doubts about this than ever now." Lazni could feel outrage rising in her voice.

"Well, I don't have any doubts. This war is wrong, but we don't have a choice now. I bet Prominence kidnapped those drones to stage that act. Even at best Lalartu will be furious at such a heinous act.

"There must be something we can do." Lazni said. "Maybe Lalartu will only be mad at Prominence?"

"Ah yes, and then we two queens just surrender ourselves to her overwhelming generosity she showed me before?" Pupae said. "We need Prominence, and now she's forced us into a fight that I don't know how we can get out of Lazni. and I hate it." Pupae shook her head, standing back and then starting to head for her chambers. "I'm going to prepare to move out tonight. Most of the hive will be emptied because of this, all of Prominence's and my own drones, anyway."

Lazni sighed, watching Pupae go off to her chambers. Of all the changeling queens to meet and all the princess to befriend, she had to meet Pupae and befriend Prominence. Lazni turned towards her hive, preparing to tell them the news and then prepare for battle.

"We-- we aren't actually going to war, are we?" The drone asked fearfully.

"We won't see any combat." Lazni assured them. "Prominence's drones will do the fighting, we'll just be pulling wagons with supplies." The drone let out a sigh of relief, hugging Lazni's back in a loving embrace.