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Prolonging Passion6,749 words
Apprehending Avariciousness4,805 words

Apprehending Avariciousness

“Could you stop lurking around and make your move? This is what you want, correct?”

“You had it!? That makes nine…” “It’s been 800 years…MY real power…”

“He’s the only remaining Greeed I can use as a vessel…”

“So this is a complete resurrection? I guess you picked a wrong time to come back.”

“Hmmph! You don’t stand a chance against my full power.” “I’ll send you all to Hell together.”

“Insects.” “Garbage…I can’t believe I actually had trouble fighting you two.”

“This World should be brought to an end.”

“You’re wrong! This stilted, stagnant World will be reinvigorated by desire. Evolution through desire will lead the World to greater heights than ever.”

“As long as there is desire there is potential for change and creation. It is desire that turns today into tomorrow.”

“Happy Birthday!”

“Stop it…please stop! Somebody help me…!”

“To a fitting end.”

“Is that what happens if the vessel goes out of control…?!”

“I know that right now I have enough power to defeat you!”

“[PTERADON]! [TRICERATOPS]! [TYRANOSAURUS]! [PTERADON]! [TRICERATOPS]! [TYRANOSAURUS]! GIGA SCAN!!!”

“So this is my end…I am now complete.”

These were words that were spoken in the rush of a final battle in which the fate of a world was at stake. Words that would echo into the annuls of history in which with the help of one young man and his amazing desire would ensure that there would be a tomorrow long after the threat was defeated. Yet despite their significance there, these words have little meaning to the ponies here. They had no idea of this final battle that took place long ago in a world beyond their own. Only two individuals knew the details of the events that transpired: The Changeling Queen named Chrysalis and the one who told her what occurred and was actually there, the Greed named Uva. Both of whom at this current moment were busy enacting a plot of vengeance and retribution for what the Solar Monarch Celestia did to them so long ago. Yet even these events were ripples compared to the large stone thrown that was the arrival of Uva in Equestria.

To understand the how and why the faux wedding was an act of retaliation, we must first traverse the when and where of Uva entering this world. To do so we must go back until we reach the point where it all begin for his new life. Long before this ersatz wedding, before those present were even born, to even a point before there was a place where Canterlot would even be placed, there was a time when the realm of ponies was still a fledgling kingdom. However, far away from this place was another land that to this day remains harsh and near hospitable even to those who dare to survive it: The Badlands. That is what it is known as today and that is surprisingly what it was known as then as well.

Uva himself would have little recollection of what occurred to bring him to Equus. Before that point, he could barely recall the betrayal at the hands of Dr. Maki. For that bastard of emptiness shoved core medal after core medal into his body until he could no longer contain himself. Instead he had been made to become the container of a much more terrible power and transmogrified into the vessel of ultimate desire. Such almighty dominance radiated from the new shell that had been his body at which anything within its presence converted into intrinsic worth. Plants, automobiles, even skyscrapers became nothing more than coins known as cell medals before his blackhole-like existence. That and the combination of feeling every core medal orbiting alongside his own set made him feel akin to a god! Or it would, were it not for his own identity being swallowed up as well!

Yet once Uva began to regain proper consciousness and regain his individuality, he could no longer feel any of that. He felt cut off from that connection to a power that reached out to all things living and inanimate. Nor could he feel the voracity of knowing what a life was worth in such a literal sense. To him that was not as bothersome as a return to that lingering feeling of incompleteness that he thought he lost when he regained his core medals. He couldn’t sense what was felt when one experienced the liberation of wholeness when a Greed succeeded in having all their medals in their body-

Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t feel his legs! In fact, he couldn’t feel much of anything beyond what the fingers in his right hand could touch!

“No…No! No, no, no, NO!!” He quickly discovered the reason he couldn’t feel the rest of his body: It wasn’t THERE!! All that remained of himself was his right arm to the elbow! “What the hell happened to me!?”

It was thanks to the advantages of Uva’s kind that he still held a semblance of life despite being little more than a forearm. A rather badass one with green and black insect like qualities and two long dagger length blades extended, but a forearm nevertheless. The fact he was capable of speech despite a lack of a mouth was only one of the fascinating questions of his current state alongside the apparent ability to levitate. However even they were punched to the side once his screaming was blasted out by the shrieks of another.

His surroundings were not much to look at beyond a most dismal and barren looking wasteland of rocky earth beyond the eyes (or lack of!) could see. Yet he realized he was at the edge of a cliff and the sounds came from below him. With nothing else to lose, he began his decent, taking note of the source of the screams and what he could gain from the situation developing around them.

“My Mother will not stand for this-”

“You mother can die in a ditch for all we care, ‘your majesty’!” One of the attackers said with a sneer. The voice was male, and mixed with a vibrating undertone. He was some form of quadruped with black chitin coating it, a ridge-like mane, and a reddish shell upon its back. His eyes were large red lenses and possessed a malicious compound gleam. Overall, he and the creatures nearby looked to be some cross between an insect with transparent red wings and some sort of horned equine.

“In fact, that might not be a bad idea for what you can do after we’ve had our fill!” Said another will an eagerness in their tone. He was a near exact duplicate of the one that previously spoke and the four others that stood nearby. It made the one who stood out from their numbers stick out even more.

This one with their back to the cliff was clearly feminine in their appearance, so it must have been a female. She was slightly shorter
than the others, which might have indicated a younger age as well. The differences went beyond that however. She hair a longer main or aqua blue hair, a longer and slightly more jagged horn, blue translucent wings, and a small developing crown-like crest on her head. To Uva though, the most noticeable difference were her eyes. It wasn’t that they were not large lenses like the ones ahead of her. It wasn’t that they were a green that made him think of his electric attacks. It was that despite being injured to the point of having one eye closed, and facing odds that looked to be leading to her end, she still held a sense of defiance in front of them.

He knew that look well. She knew what it meant to be a survivor. So before he knew it, he was floating ahead of her and facing the squad of her attackers, much to the surprise of all.

“What magic is this?”

“Is that a paw?”

“Seriously!? This is the best you can conjure up with!?.”

Uva gave them a hand sign that he personally referred to as ‘The Bugger’. He refused to call it ‘The Bird’ on account he would fight over tooth and nail with Ahnk over who invented it to this very day!

“I’m not one to help out others, and I certainly don’t do it for free.” He spoke out, widening the eyes of everyone to hear a voice coming from a floating forearm. “So if you want to live, you better make it worth my while.”

“W-what?” The injured female stuttered, unsure of what this being was.

“I just said I’ll help you out of this jam, but you better give me something good for it!” Honestly, was it that hard to understand? “So tell me, Princess…Do you want to live? Or die?”

She was quiet for a good moment before softly speaking, “I want to live.”

“What was that?” Uva made a ‘Come here’ gesture as he saw these other creatures were about to attack as they were having none of this further hindrance to whatever they’re plans were.

“I want to live!” She cried out with determination.

“Good! Because so do I!” And with that he flew. Only it was towards the female, and not any of the others! Before anything could be done, he transformed into a pile of coins and reformed himself on her right front leg. A green aura covered her being, until it settled down with her eyes being the last to simmer down. When the process completed, the female stood proud, despite her injuries, and now sport greener streaks in her mane. As if indifferent to now having a forearm with fingers, she used it to slick and smooth her mane back a bit more to be less in front of her face.

“On all fours like a beast…least it's not a cat like that bastard, Kizari.” The ‘female’ said in a voice that sounded a bit rougher coming from her mouth. She grimaced as if the questionable forearm wiped dust off her form. “Still, I don’t know what’s worse. That this body is a beast…or a female!”

The other creatures where charging their horns with glowing energy as they readied a combined strike to finish her. The one in the lead shouted out, “Enough fooling around! It doesn’t matter what disguise you put on! Your life ends here!”

She ignored them for the most part, unconcerned with what they were doing. Then ‘she’ broke out into a grin as a greenish charge of energy began to glow brightly on her own horn. “But how lucky for me. It seems like it’s not that different from my own!”

With that, he unleashed a terrific trail of greenish lightning that separated to target all those ahead of ‘her’. It was not only ‘shocking’ to them (pun intended), but it seemed to be doing a great deal of damage. In fact, as the attack was being cast, the creature possessed by Uva was finding itself amazingly refreshed with each second of energy it was unleashing. As the previous wounds on their person were starting to fade, the amazing conclusion was reached! This attack wasn’t just unleashing torrents of energy to these insect like equines, but simultaneously draining them of whatever energy they had!

“Power drain as well? This gets better and…better?” The female stopped ‘her’ attack as ‘she’ reached for ‘her’ head as if a massive headache was thrashing ‘her’ mind. The crown-like crest upon it was glowing intensely until her strange forearm erupted into coins, and flew off her. It reformed into the gauntlet of Uva. As for the previous host, her injuries were healed and whatever transformation she had undergone was cancelled out. She still felt winded as if she flew and ran a great distance for a long session of time.

“What was that?” She panted in anger as she stared at the floating arm before her.

“That was just a taste of what I am capable of…Chrysalis?” He answered as he floated near the bodies of the…changelings nearby.

She perked up, knowing that she did not mention her name in his presence. “How do you-?”

“I picked up a few things while I was in your head.” He curtly answered. They were all dead for the most part, or at least the ones he inspected so far. This one however still had the faintest signs of a pulse.

“No way I’m going to remain a mere piece of myself for all time.” He sounded out a sigh as he lowered himself onto it. “Looks like this one will do.”

She didn’t like how he was approaching that one. “What are you-!?”

He transformed into a pile of coins, only this time he entered the body instead of just covering it like he did with her. The body convulsed as it seemed coins were starting to enshroud its body, until finally it completed its forced metamorphosis. No longer was it some mere ‘Blank slate’ type of drone. Instead, it was a strong looking male drone with green aspects instead of the previous red ones. He had black chitin coat, green compound eyes, a slicked black mane with green mixed in, a green shell on his back, and translucent green wings. What stood out the most besides the pronged armor on his right front hoof, was that instead of one horn, he had two that stood up on his head like antennae and had spike on them in a similar fashion to a stag beetle.

“There. That’s better. Still a quadruped, but at least it’s the same gender. Something that makes it less unbearable.” He lifted his right hoof, noting the lack of fingers. Yet it wasn’t long until he discovered that his new powers did in fact include a smoother form of shapeshifting and began toying with making them reappear and disappear again. “Now we’re getting somewhere!”

Chrysalis couldn’t do much but stare at this other being in surprise. She had an inkling of it being something dangerous, and yet it saved her life. She was divided between thanking it, and running away with hope that it couldn’t keep up the pursuit of her. It didn’t help that he chose a form that looked…rather appealing. She mentally smacked herself for admitting such a thing considering not long ago it tried to take over her own body for its purposes and admitted for searching through her mind for information.

Fortunately, a rising sound of buzzing alerted the two of them of incoming company. Giving them a glance, Chrysalis found herself immediately grateful seeing that she knew the objects flying towards her. It was a contingent of her hive, finally here to bring her home!

They were changeling drones of many different sizes. Their detailed features were blue in a manner like Chrysalis. They all possessed armor of a deep cobalt color and shine. However, leading them alongside a more ornately armored changeling drone was a figure that looked like an older and more experienced version of the changeling princess. In moments, they surrounded them, with most taking to the air, while a few landed nearby with spears at the ready orbiting them in glowing telekinetic grips.

“On your feet scum!” Shouted the ornately armored figure leading the others who must have been the captain. He had a series of spears floating around him, and all were ready to fly and gore this unknown threat to the crown he served. He looked toward his Queen, ready to unleash the barrage at her command.

Seeing her mother about to send the signal, she reflexively fluttered in front of the Pseudo-changeling drone.

“Captain! Mother!” Chrysalis hurried to stand carefully between Uva and the members of her hive. “Is this how you intend to treat my rescuer?”

That bit of news seemed to lower the hostilities towards the mysterious changeling. The Queen signaled the captain to halt his troops, to which they all immediately complied.

She was taller than his current form, but that made little difference to Uva having faced bigger opponents before. Sure, he could take her, but he felt that it might better his chances if he stuck to a polite manner with this apparent queen. He noted how her mane was a deeper and acidic green than her daughter’s aquamarine strands. A name popped into his mind as he recalled some of the knowledge he obtained from Chrysalis: Queen Cocoona.

“What’s your name, drone?” She asked simply. She had a stern countenance that indicated that she was not one to be trifled with. Uva was tempted to answer with his usual snarkiness, but considering his odd situation, he figured it would be best to not make enemies just yet.

“Uva.” He answered calmly, figuring that it wouldn’t hurt to have a bit of name recognition as it were. It’s not like they would recognize the name for the Greeed he was. He gave a slight head nod. “Just Uva…your majesty.”

“Uva. You have done a great service beyond the call of your hive.” She replied noting his lack of a full bow. Since his eyes were looking at the armed guards at the ready, she let it go on account he probably was expecting her to still order a strike. She had more pressing concerns than some slight lack of reverence as she trotted to face her daughter. At her, the stern face lessoned a bit as she seemed to look her over and insured she had no wounds that needed treatment. “And he was the one to protect you, my daughter?”

“Yes, mother. He came at my cries for help, and struck these curs dead.” She answered.

“Really now?” The queen raised an eyebrow finding a suspicious tone in the words coming from her daughter. “Even though they were able to overpower you, one of our bloodline and who comes from such prime stock as myself.”

“It was a combined effort, your majesty.” Uva quickly answered. “It just so happened to be nearby, and seeing how she was outnumbered, thought to even the odds. If anything, it was barely a workout due to the damage she already inflicted upon them despite their numbers.”

“Really? Just happened to be passing through.” The Queen had a suspicious undertone in her words especially as she went on to ask, “To which hive did you say you serve, Uva?”

“None.” He curtly answered. His newly acquired knowledge would have been enough to bluff his way into a hive, but considering the politics of different Hives it wasn’t worth it.

“None?” She inquired, not believing him. Her armed guards readied themselves as they too found this to be a possible lie spoken to their Queen with disrespectful contempt.

“Yes, none.” He shrugged with a sigh as he gave as forlorn an expression as he could despite his lack of emotional experience both as a Greed, and as a being with entirely different facial features). “I couldn’t tell you if I have one, for I’ve wandered on my own for what seems like forever. Now apparently, I save princesses.”

“‘Apparently’? So you expect me to believe you did not know that my daughter was of Royal blood, and that saving her would not at the very least get you some form of reward?” Queen Cocoona scoffed. “Or an opportunity for a rank of power or even…the possibility of more she could offer you?”

Uva would have scoffed, but she was right in some ways. He was a Greeed with his own self-interests. However, all that she implied he did it for was not the case. He especially had not done it for whatever implication that would cause her daughter to blush at the near mention of it. He however could sense that her concerns were not just out of suspicion for a so-called fortunate savior saving her throne’s heir, but her own daughter. It was an interesting combination of being scrutinized by a royal and mother’s concerns. It was more interesting that he realized he could sense emotions in undertones at all in his new form. Still he had to avoid distraction, so he answered as quickly as he could to keep his façade going along.

“All I knew was that she was the first…ling that looked like me and not like those who are almost copies of each other. She couldn’t tell me what I wanted if she was dead and desecrated, so I thought to prevent that.” He gave a slight smirk. “Admittedly, I don’t work for free, so I’m sure she would have to figure out a way to repay me. Preferably with something more substantial…maybe gems?”

The other changelings from Royal to drone raised eyebrows at this. One guard changeling asked out, “Just gems?”

“Well, I assume she must have had something shiny and valuable to have these other drones gang up on her.” He nudged a dead red drone with a hoof. “The Red drones I know are pillagers, and raid other settlements for valuables.”

“But nothing else?” Another guard asked.

“Well, that was then. Admittedly the terms seem to have changed.” Uva replied as he spoke his new request plainly. “I saved your princess. I’m not a saint, and I don’t work for free, so I expect to be rewarded for what I’ve done. To avoid this becoming a bigger mess that these corpses on the ground, I’ll settle on two things for now: a place to dwell when I need to rest, and the freedom to move about without having to worry about dealing with any of you. I don’t give a damn if I have all you lings sneak around and watch me even when I go take a piss. I just care about making sure you understand I’m not just someone you can push around without ending up like this pile of trash.”

To emphasize his point, he kicked the carcass of the dead changelings with an audible crack. A few guards and Chrysalis winced at the action. Yet the rest seemed to be impressed for it was spoken and done with the emphasis of a Changeling who could give the presence of a powerful Royal.

The changelings pondered this request carefully as they thought about its implications. Uva was essentially asking to be able to traverse their lands and hive without fear of attack, while also being allowed to leave as he pleased. It was a dangerous prospect to allow should he turn out to be a spy for another hive! Yet he was but one drone who would undoubtedly be swarmed and smite upon should he reveal hostile intent. The Queen herself would have flat out refused such a request were it not for her observations of Uva.

He was clearly a mercenary-like figure in how he ‘didn’t work for free’. It was a policy that suited a drone and lone wanderer of the Badlands. Yet that was also a key feature in revealing himself. The fact he said, “someone” instead of “someling”.

“I thought you appeared to be a bit like a royal-descended changeling.” The Queen appraised, noting Uva’s features. He certainly has more uniqueness in them, which implied royal blood mixed into his form. Adding that to his apparent wandering nature, and the clear flaws in his etiquette (as in the nearly complete lack of them) that perhaps he was a drone born from a Royal’s tryst that was castoff to die at a young age? It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing occurred.

“Am I? I wouldn’t know.” He tilted his head. “Like I’ve said, I’ve been on my own for some time as it were.”

“Then perhaps I may make a request to up your reward then?” Queen Cocoona inquired as an idea began to formulate in her mind.

“How so?”

“You are strong, clever, and ambitious. All traits that if left unchecked would possibly be disastrous if from an enemy. Yet, if it came from the form of an ally, now that would be a much more…gratifying consequences. So as you said, you do not work for free. However, what if I were to offer you a way to achieve your desires…” She nudged her. “As the bodyguard to Princess Chrysalis?”

“WHAT?!” said princess cried out in alarm. The nearby changelings surrounding her looked all kinds of worried at the notion of this stranger possibly obtaining a position close to the throne. “Mother, have your sense left you comple-“

“Watch your tongue, daughter of mine!” Queen Cocoona growled with royal decorum. “I do not take me for an imbecile! I know when to properly reward loyalty as well as to punish betrayal.”

And with that she directed her words at Uva again, with a notable lack of sweetness. “Nor am I foolish enough to ever consider you lack any secrets of your own. Still, heed my words Uva. You have saved my daughter from death, or a possibly worse fate and for that I reward you a position that has great influence and potential for more, but even still it is not without its consequences. Free as you wish to remain, it shall be my banner, MY HIVE, in which you shall consider first above the rest! And so, if so much as an whisper of anything that is a threat to it or my daughter reaches me…”

She got up right into his face and emphasized every syllable as she declared. “I shall have you scattered in so many pieces that they will be considered the top soil of the Badlands of which we tread! Understood?”

“Yes.” He nodded, impressed at such a threat. If he were a lesser being he may have even soiled himself at their emotional impact.

“Yes…what?” She asked with a knowing titter. It was one that Uva was begrudging to do, but knew he must if he were to get into the position he wanted.

‘Ahnk, I swear if you're still out there in the universe you better not hear a peep of this.’ He thought as he made a bow and tried not to sound like he was choking out the words. “Yes…your majesty.”

“Good!” Queen Cocoona smiled as she motioned for her daughter to come over. “Now, Chrysalis, it’s a long flight home and I’m sure to find your tale as to how you escaped the hive this time…most intriguing. I’m sure Uva will be finding himself getting acquainted with his future peers. So Captain, let us be off!”

Up she flew, followed closely by her captain and some of his guards. Yet Chrysalis stood still, looking carefully at Uva, as if trying to solve a riddle he spoke out.

“Is there something wrong?” one guard near the disguised Greeed asked.

“…No, just be certain to keep an eye on this one.” She finally said. As she took off, she made sure to shout out. “And be certain he can fight properly when we return. My bodyguard must not be unrefined if he is to suit me after all!”

The remaining changelings chortled at this immensely. They would be certain to give this upstart hell the coming days. Yet perhaps the greater ring he would find himself would be from the princess herself. They all knew how flighty and dismissive of her entourages she was as shown by this example of her being out of the Hive’s boundaries.

Uva seemed to be a surprisingly good sport about their ribbing and jokes. When asked why, he replied with a hoof slicking back his antennae as he prepared himself to fly.

“It seems a waste of time considering I doubt she’ll get to leave again.” He swiftly moved after the Royals as he shouted to them below in a chiding edge. “Then again, I do wonder how it was that she got out with such upstanding guards such as yourselves, hmm?”

The other drones looked at one another in surprise. Whatever jokes they had died when they realized that there was still the issue of the princess getting into danger in the first place to address.

Yet still, no one realized that from that day forward, their Princess’ fate would alter further off course in the coming days ahead.

[TO BE CONTINUED…]

Author's Note:

Well, I know it's been a long time since this story has gotten any attention. I apologize for that as it hasn't received my priority. Life an other things keep coming first and foremost as well as other things I work on. Hopefully this tale will get some more traction with this gathering of words I have added to it. Still, I hope to those who have been reading it if they wouldn't mind throwing so comments for it my way. It really helps me to get feedback from readers as it keeps the idea generator for a particular story running. Otherwise, I tend to put my effort into other things that my busy life allows, such as other stories. Already one story has gotten quite the drive to it at nearly a couple hundred people reading and commenting on it. Who says this story can't reach a higher level with some more love?

So welcome back readers, to another chapter of The Greedy Queen's Beloved Revival!
Hope this chapter meets your expectations! If not, then let me know how I can improve it and I shall! Take care all!