Chapter 8: The Spire
(The Primordial Hive, entrance tunnel)
“So, is there a reason why your transformation flames are yellow instead of green? Is it linked to your species’ thaumatic signature, or is there some other metaphysical reasoning behind it? Is it similar to a Unicorn’s magical aura color at birth and how it can change based on varying levels of power? Or perhaps it’s another usage of Starswirl’s Theory of Relativistic Thaumaturgy, where--”
“No.”
Twilight froze mid-syllable and looked at Protus. “Pardon me?”
“It’s...none of those things, I think?” Protus answered hesitantly.
“Well, then what is it?” Twilight cried out, flapping her wings in an indignant hop. “Surely it’s not Nebula Chaser’s Paradoxical Signature Theorem? That’s never been proven. Although it would be fantastic if your race does prove it, that would be another item off my bucket list.”
“I have no idea what that is, and honestly, I never really thought about it,” Protus replied, shooting Thorax a look that begged for deliverance. “All I know is that each Changeling tribe has a different transformation color associated with them. With us Hornets, it’s yellow.”
“Yes, Thorax told me there were seven Hives in total,” Twilight said with a giddy nicker. “So far there’s you guys and the Changelings at the Badlands, what others are there?”
“Well, the ones from the Badlands are the Equine tribe,” Protus filled in. “After that, there’s the Ants, the Scorpions, the Moths, the Scarabs, and the Mantises.”
Twilight’s large eyes sparkled, and her smile grew. “So...many...!”
“I do wish you’ll be careful with what you tell her, Protus,” Rarity chided as she sided up to Twilight. “She’ll go catatonic at this rate.” The Changeling merely shrugged in response.
And so on it went. They had only been walking down the tunnel for a few minutes before Twilight had launched into her research mode, leading them to their current conversation. While she and Protus talked (with the occasional input from Thorax), Applejack had kept to herself and watched the other Hornets next to them, eyeing them in silent curiosity and slight caution. Thorax and Twilight may have trusted them, but Applejack wasn’t too sure. Yet.
As the group continued to walk down the dimly-lit tunnel, Spike began to notice several odd shapes on the walls around them. Some were circular, others square, and some even changed shape or moved around. Sometimes small holes would even open up, big enough for him to poke his head inside, only to close a moment later.
He tugged his backpack closer and looked up to the ceiling, watching as yet another hole opened up. Only this time, one of the Hornets in their group flew up through it, with the opening closing up after her. The walls to the side of him then bulged and wobbled slightly, before reforming into solid stone. Spike blinked, then pointed towards the walls. “Um, guys? The walls are moving.”
Twilight paused in her interrogation of Protus and looked around, finally noticing the holes in the walls. “Whoa...you’re right!” she gasped. “What’s going on?”
Thorax chuckled. “I keep forgetting you guys don’t know that much about Changelings. We’re in a Changeling Hive, and like Changelings, the Hive changes shape as well. It’s part of the magic we put on the place, to help in disguising it.”
One of the Hornet guards bringing up the rear let out a raspy laugh. “Is that what ol’ Chryssy told you Equines after she left? It’s no wonder you hardly know anything about us.”
Thorax craned his neck towards him and cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Is there another reason?”
“Oh, nothing, you’ll see in time,” the guard replied with a smirk, ducking into one of the holes that opened up next to him.
Once the hole closed up, Thorax turned back to Protus, his gaze questioning. “What did he mean by--?”
“Hold on a tick,” Applejack interrupted, raising a hoof. “Anyone hear that?”
Rarity looked around. “Hear what?”
“No, I hear it too,” Thorax said, his ears perking up. “Buzzing up ahead, lots of it.”
Protus smirked to himself as they kept walking. He was going to savor these next few moments.
Moments later, more light began to pour into the tunnel, and Twilight squinted as she looked ahead. The tunnel’s exit was in sight, leading onto a wide, earthy platform overlooking a cavern. As the group stepped onto the platform, the buzzing sound grew louder, and the light got brighter. Once their eyes had adjusted to the new lighting, Thorax, Twilight, and Spike all stared gobsmacked at the sight before them. Twilight let out a high-pitched squeal and fluttered over to the edge of the platform, standing on her hind legs and leaning over the railing with the biggest grin Spike had ever seen adorning her face. Thorax’s jaw slowly fell and his eyes went as wide as saucers.
Rarity and Applejack stepped out of the tunnel and glanced at their friends’ expressions. Rarity’s face scrunched up at the sight. “What’s all this, then?” she wondered aloud, before reaching the railing and looking down. She let out a long, slightly unladylike gasp and keeled over backwards, with Applejack and Spike rushing to catch her.
Once she was safely lying on the floor, Applejack narrowed her eyes and looked up at Twilight. “Twilight, what are ya...” She looked over the railing and stopped, blinking at what she saw. “...lookin’ at...” she murmured, letting out a low whistle. “There’s an eye-opener, ain’t no mistake.”
It was as if the world had opened up for them and all they saw was beauty and grace undefinable by mere words alone. They were in a cavern, larger than Manehattan and taller than the Crystal Palace, and grander than both combined. A pillar of dark green crystal jutted up from its very center, spiraling up into the ceiling like the horn of some great beast, and giving off a warm glow to the entire cavern. Its surface was covered with a web of black, chitinous resin, long solidified. Standing at the base of the pillar in each of the cardinal directions were four tall statues of Hornet Changelings carved from black stone, each one holding out a hoof, with a white crystal sphere hovering above their hooves, encased in the same webby, black resin.
From the pillar emerged hundreds of thin, twisting bridges through the air like petrified roots or gnarled branches of an enormous tree, moving through the air in loops, spirals, curves, and sharp turns, intersecting and conjoining through the air until they all met the walls of the cavern, leading into hundreds of other darkened tunnels speckled throughout the ever-shifting stone.
From the ceiling hung a spectacular sight: thousands of green pods, about half of which looked empty, and the other half bore within them Changelings of all shapes, sizes, and colors, all resting comfortably within their podded prisons. Even at this distance, they looked content, and even as the five visitors on the observation platform watched, thin streams of green energy flowed from the crystal pillar towards the sleeping Changelings --- love energy given freely from the Hive itself to its occupants.
But the base of the pillar held the most peculiar sight of all. The floor was covered in small lakes and ponds, interspersed with dry land and bridges, from which sprouted thousands of large, blue mushrooms, each of them glowing with bioluminescence. Each mushroom had a door built into it, and some even had metal bridges connecting them. Many of the mushrooms looked populated.
Twilight’s breath hitched and her mouth opened and closed like a fish, words dying on her lips before they could even be formed. Eventually, she simply pointed with a hoof towards the Hive and mouthed, “Hive?”
Protus chuckled and stepped over Rarity’s prone form, siding up to Twilight at the railing and looking over the cavern alongside her. “Welcome to the Primordial Hive’s first level, the Sapphire Gallery.”
Twilight froze and slowly turned her head towards him, her face scrunched up in further shock. “F-f-f-f-f-first level?!” she wheezed.
Protus nodded. “There are five in total, with this being the largest. They’re all connected through the Spire Nexus over there.” He pointed a hoof towards the massive crystal pillar in the center of the cave. “It goes up the entire length of the Spire, and provides love and light for all those living inside the Hive.”
“How many?” Thorax whispered. “How many live here? There must be thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of--”
“Forty million souls,” Protus replied.
Thorax’s jaw dropped once more, and so did Twilight’s. Applejack lifted up a hoof and signed a heart over her chest. Forty million Changelings, all in one Hive. It was more than Manehattan, the largest city in Equestria!
The squeal of rapturous glee that emerged from Twilight’s throat at that moment nearly sent Protus stumbling backwards in surprise, as the lavender Alicorn began bouncing on the tips of her hooves in a circle around the group. Thorax soon joined her, looking rather ridiculous and clumsy in his hops, but it was clear that he was just as excited as she was, if not more so.
The resulting commotion stirred Rarity into waking, and after a few aimless blinks, her eyes opened fully and gazed at the roof of the cave. Her legs were splayed out to her sides as she lay still on her back, staring at the ceiling without saying a word, even as Thorax and Twilight did another lap around her. Finally, she blew a lock of her mane away from her face and murmured, “Applejack, Spikey-Wikey, what did I miss?”
Spike scratched the side of his head. “Not much, just that we’re apparently only in the first level of the Hive, and that the Hive has more people living in it than Canterlot and Manehattan combined.”
“How many?”
“Forty million or so,” Applejack replied.
“About eighty percent of our race, really,” Protus added. “The other six Hives are comprised of the rest, one for each tribe, with the Primordial Hive being the one for the Hornets.”
Rarity blinked again, and planted her hooves against the ground to sit up, finally noticing Thorax and Twilight hopping around her. “So that’s why Twilight and Thorax are acting so...so...”
“Silly?” Spike filled in.
“Fool-headed?” Applejack added.
“Excited!~” Twilight chirped, starting her fourth lap around.
“Elated!~” Thorax sang in the same tone of voice.
“Adorable,” Rarity finished with a titter as she stood up.
“Your Highness, Your Majesty, please control yourselves,” the exasperated Hornet sergeant pleaded. “We have a lot of ground to cover, and the Emperor wants to meet with you as soon as he can.”
Twilight and Thorax slowed down (using no small amount of willpower) and faced Protus, nodding. “Y-Yes, of course, we should get going,” Thorax admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “I’ve already screwed up a couple times, don’t want to add ‘being late’ to the list.”
“Yeah, same here,” Twilight said with a blush. “Um, Sergeant Protus, please take us to your leader.”
Protus nodded and motioned towards one of the nearby stone bridges with an armored hoof. “Right this way; it shouldn’t take us long to reach the Nexus from here.” He then pointed at the remaining guards near the tunnel, who had kept a respectful distance from the group. “The rest of you, return to your posts. I can take it from here.”
The guards nodded, and before any of the visitors knew what was happening, the Hornets all walked into the walls of the cave, and the walls warped and shifted around them until all the guards had vanished.
Twilight looked about ready to explode once more, only this time Spike put a hand on her side and shook his head at her. Instead, she settled with a simple question: “How?!”
Protus smirked. “Come now, Your Highness, you’re rather smart. I’m sure you can figure it out without me giving you all the hints.” With that, he began walking to the bridge.
Twilight’s ears flattened instantly and she hung her head. “I mean, you’re not wrong, but that’s still unfair...”
“You can think about it on the way, Twilight,” Spike encouraged her. “Shouldn’t take longer than five minutes, and if it does, well, we are in a Changeling Hive.”
“Hey!” Applejack called, bringing the rest of the group’s attention to the stone bridge, where she and Rarity stood waiting alongside Protus. “Are we goin’ or what?”
“Right, we should get a move on,” Thorax said. “Lead on, sergeant.”
Moments later, Protus was leading the Hive’s latest visitors across one of the winding stone bridges, hanging directly over one of the busier sections of the mushroom city below. From the observation platform, it had been hard to see, but it seemed that each bridge actually had reinforced steel platforms bolted into the stone, along with even more safety rails and several lamp posts with white crystal shards hovering over them, providing light for the entire bridge. As they walked, the Ponies and Spike looked down in wonder, taking care not too lean too far over the edge as they watched the Changelings below go about their business. Only, they were all Changelings that none of the Ponies had ever seen before, all of them familiar and yet alien in their own ways.
The air hummed as Moths, Scarabs, and Hornets buzzed through the air from mushroom to mushroom, making the Ponies’ skin vibrate from proximity. And yet, the buzzing of their wings didn’t seem to bother the Ponies in the slightest, much to the Ponies’ own surprise. If anything, the sound, while loud, soothed them and gave way to a melodious overture of wing beats. It wasn’t the noise of a city, it was the natural sound of a hundred thousand hearts beating all at once as their owners danced and twirled in the air.
And then the visitors realized they weren’t just hearing the sounds of wings. As they listened closer, they heard sounds that reminded them of harps, as well as a warbling whistle, which when combined had a rhythmic undertone. The Changelings were singing, not with words, but with a language unlike anything Twilight or even Thorax had ever heard before. They all lifted up their heads and sang with one voice, which echoed throughout the cavern.
To the Ponies and Spike, it was a wondrous experience, but to Thorax, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. The sight of so many Changelings, so full of life and love, and all with happy faces moved him to tears, and even as he walked, a drop fell from his face to the cavern floor below, landing in one of the many lakes and causing a small ripple.
Protus noticed Thorax’s watering eyes and faced him with a concerned expression. “Your Majesty, are you alright?”
“They’re...they’re all so carefree...” Thorax whispered in joy, although his voice carried across to the entire group. “I can feel so much love and magic in this place. It’s saturated with it, even more than my own Hive. And everyone’s...so happy...”
Protus nodded in understanding. “It’s the result of thousands of years of meticulous love cultivation, and the sharing of it. We learned long ago that sharing love increased our stores of it tenfold, and so every day, we sing a Lovesong.”
“A love song?” Rarity asked, her ears perking up. “Dedicated to whom?”
“No, not that kind of love song,” Protus chuckled. “A Lovesong is a song all Changelings in the Hive sing, as an ambient means of naturally sharing love amongst ourselves. We transfer some of the love in our hearts into the words of the song, and then sing whatever song the Hivemind is singing at that moment. Even as I speak to you, I’m singing my part across the Hivemind.”
Twilight tore her attention away from the flying Changelings and focused on the city below, noticing for the first time just how many Changelings there were. All of them thrummed, hummed, and sang with each other, lifting their voices to the unseen heavens. Thorax was right, they all looked so happy, so friendly, so...normal.
They’re no different from us... she thought. They have families, tribes, a home, lives, jobs...and Chrysalis denied her Hive all of this, hid their history and their culture, and lied to them. Why?
Her gaze shifted to a different part of the city, taking in the sights as the singing continued. Aside from the three flying types, there were also several ground-based Changelings. The Ants paddled across the lakes in boats, or crawled up mushroom stems to reach their homes. Several greeted each other by touching their antennae together, while others did so in the more traditional way of bumping hooves together or waving.
On the other hoof, the Scorpions went out of their way to be as bizarrely ridiculous as possible in how they moved about. They didn’t walk across the floor, nor did they traverse the water. Instead, they used their own bodies to bridge the gaps between mushrooms, allowing their fellow Changelings to walk across their bodies. Some even used the curve of their segmented tails to swing from mushroom to mushroom.
And then there were the Mantises, who towered over the Ants and Scorpions like Princess Celestia towered over the average Pony. They walked on four hooves with their heads held up high, their remaining forelegs tucked close to their chests in a show of elegance and haughty grace, although they seemed to be just as friendly as the rest of the Changelings.
But there was one thing that Twilight noticed among all the Changelings, whether they were Mantis, Scarab, Ant, Scorpion, Hornet, or Moth. They were all colored black, aside from some minor colorful highlights like the Moths’ bright red compound eyes or the Hornets’ yellow stripes. There was not a trace of the Equines’ multicolored appearance in any of them.
Twilight’s brow furrowed. If the Changelings were sharing love, then why were they still black? Wasn’t black their corrupted color? “That’s odd...” she murmured.
“Hm?” Protus looked over to her. “What is, Princess?”
“When Thorax’s Hive shared their love, they all turned...well, like Thorax,” Twilight said gesturing to the Changeling King with a nod. “But even though you’re sharing love here, all the Changelings here are still black.”
Protus paused and looked between himself and Thorax, as if noticing the difference for the first time. “...That is odd,” he admitted. “And probably far beyond my pay grade. I wish I had an answer for you, Your Highness, but I don’t. You’ll have to ask the Emperor when you see him.”
“Naturally,” Twilight muttered. Then she remembered something. “Oh, and by the way, sub-harmonic resonance frequencies sent across the Hivemind to break down the atomic structure of the wall, mixed with Changeling shapeshifting magic and an illusion spell, possibly Clover the Clever’s Sensory Swindler or Arcane Wisdom’s Smoke n’ Mirrors, or the Changeling equivalents.”
Protus blinked. “I have no idea what you just said, but whatever it was, it sounded important.”
“What’s important?” Applejack asked, moving her gaze from the city below to Twilight.
“It’s my best guess on how the Changelings back there were able to walk through the walls,” Twilight answered. “Granted, it’s only a rough estimate, based on one observation. In order for me to come to a more reasonable conclusion, I think I’ll need to run a few more tests with the proper equipment first, as well as use Spry Willow’s Law to account for thaumatic irregularities. Well, that and determine the proper makeup of the wall.”
“Oh yeah, Ah forgot ya said ya were gonna find that out,” Applejack mused, putting a hoof to her chin.
“It’s like she’s speaking words but in a language I can’t understand,” Protus deadpanned.
“You’ll get used to it, pal,” Spike grinned, patting him on the back.
“Did you?”
“...Sorta?”
Protus sent him a flat look, clearly unamused.
After sharing a laugh at Protus’s expense (which he graciously partook in), the group turned their attention back to the Nexus. As they walked, they continued to listen to the lilting, alien melody of the Changelings around them, until it eventually died down to a quieter hum that continued to reverberate throughout the Hive. Thorax seemed sad that he wasn’t able to hear more of the song, but he eventually decided that he was happy to have heard it at all. The Badlands Hive had nothing like it, and that thought made him even more determined to return.
Protus, meanwhile, continued to provide the group with some basic information about the Hive, only leaving out most of the more sensitive parts. Still, even with his omissions, it provided Twilight with more than enough reason to break out her supply of paper. Five scrolls in, and Spike had to forcefully stop Twilight from writing any more in an effort to keep her from burning through their limited supply of paper, mostly by flicking her horn whenever she lifted up a quill with magic.
Rarity was pleasantly surprised to spy several busy shops in the city below, and her surprise gave way to jubilation when she saw a genuine Changeling clothing boutique among them. Twilight and Spike had to forcibly pull her away from the railing overlooking it, and for several minutes afterwards she ranted and raved over how fascinating and “beautifully alien” Changeling fashion seemed. From what she could tell, each suit or dress was tailored not just for the wearer, but also for his or her tribe, be they Scorpion, Scarab, or even Hornet. She had no idea how it was possible for a Scorpion to look so graceful or chic in a flowing red dress, but she wasn’t about to back down from a challenge in figuring out how.
But what had truly sent her over the edge was how the colors and shape of the clothes changed at the whim of the wearer, seemingly at random and yet never without remaining stylish. When she begged Protus for an answer, he merely shrugged, an action that nearly sent her into hysterics had it not been for Spike frantically pushing her forward across the bridge.
Applejack, meanwhile, had busied herself with watching the Changelings below. History and culture were great and all, but for the farmer, what made a nation was the people living in it, and the Changelings were no exception. The various Changeling tribes, or what little she could see of them, interested her far more than the statues, or the fashion, or even the magic. They were far more varied than the Ponies, both in size and in shape, and yet they all worked seamlessly with each other to provide each other with a comfortable, happy life.
Her eyes shifted from the busy paths of the city to a large clearing a little ways away. Focusing her gaze, she managed to make out a patch of wheat crops, as well as more for corn and rice. Further down she could see berry bushes, smaller mushroom patches, and, to her eternal shock, apple trees. Honest-to-goodness apple trees. A whole orchard, in fact! It was a massive operation, with light provided by both the Nexus and the large blue mushrooms. Somehow these Changelings had accomplished what Earth Ponies had been dreaming of for years: mass underground cultivation.
“Impressed, are we?” Protus asked from up ahead.
Applejack nickered in surprise and trotted after the group, sending glances behind her. “It’s...it’s amazin’,” she replied. “It’s like a whole ‘nother world down here.”
“You’re telling me!” Twilight exclaimed, holding up her five scrolls of notes. “The amount of knowledge in this place is staggering, and this is just the first level!”
“Well, I’m afraid we’ve reached the limit of my knowledge,” Protus said. “Or at least, the parts I’m allowed to give out. Whatever other questions you have, I would save them for someone like the Emperor or some other government officials.” He looked up, seeing that they were close to the Nexus. “Aaaand, we’ve also reached our destination.”
“Not without company,” Spike noted, pointing a thumb behind him. “I think we picked up a few fans.”
The visitors and their escort turned around, spotting a small host of Hornets, Moths, and Scarabs hovering in the air, gaping at the sight of them. Only a few were actually paying close attention to Spike or the Ponies, however, as most of their gazes were transfixed on Thorax, who took a step back and blushed at all the attention.
Twilight’s eyes lit up at the up-close sight of the Scarabs and Moths, and she nearly dug for her notes once more before remembering Spike’s warning. The Moth Changelings were similar to the Equine tribe, having the same shape and size, but also having slightly larger wings; orange, compounded eyes; long, thin antennae on the heads in place of horns; and a very fuzzy “mane” covering their backs and head, and completely replacing their tail. In sharp contrast, the Scarabs bore little resemblance to their other tribal counterparts, looking more akin to enormous beetles with larger Equine heads and mandibles. Unlike the Hornets and the Moths, the Scarabs had six hooves, although they seemed to use the front two for grasping.
“An Equine!” a Moth mare gasped.
“A King at that, judgin’ by the size of ‘im and the antlers,” came the gruff, rumbling voice of a male Scarab. “Didn’t think I’d ever see the day.”
“What does this mean?” another Moth asked, looking around nervously. The antennae on her head twitched and their tips curled backward.
“Where’s Chrysalis?” one of the Hornets wondered.
“An’ what are we, chopped liver?” Applejack huffed.
“Let me handle this,” Protus whispered, stepping forward. “It’s alright, everyone. I am Sergeant Protus, of His Majesty’s royal guard. These outsiders, along with King Thorax of the Equine tribe, are guests of the Emperor. You aren’t in danger.”
“But they’re outsiders!” one of the Scarabs growled. “Outsiders are trouble, and can’t be trusted. Not after the last time.”
“I understand your concerns, believe me, I do,” Protus answered. “But the Emperor has spoken. Don’t worry, they’re under guard and observation even as we speak.”
Applejack’s ears perked up at that and she looked around, her eyes narrowing. Aside from the Changeling civilians, she saw no other Changeling guards besides Protus. And then she remembered where she was and slapped a hoof to her face and groaned. As if reading her mind, Rarity giggled.
Twilight waved and beamed at them. “Hello there! I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle, of Ponyville. These are my friends, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike.”
Thorax nodded slowly and gave a timid smile of his own. “A-and I’m Thorax. Well, King Thorax, I suppose. Kinda new to the job.”
Protus nodded with him. “Yes, and as you can see, they mean us no harm. The Emperor will announce the reasons for why they’re here soon enough, just please be patient. Return to your lives, and let us be on our way.”
The gruff Scarab from earlier shrugged and motioned with his head towards the others. “Well, far be it from us to keep ya from your job. Come on, lads, let’s get some grub.”
The other Changelings groaned as they flew back down to the city. “Seriously, Stoker? Insect puns again?” one of the Hornets hissed.
“Oh, am I bugging you?” the Scarab barked back with a laugh.
“Someone kill me, and then kill him...” The Hornet’s voice trailed off as the Changelings flew further away.
Protus shook his head. “Good ol’ Stoker and his buddies, never fails.”
“Friends of yours?” Rarity asked him with a raised eyebrow.
“Eh, drinking buddies, mostly,” the sergeant replied, looking up at the Nexus again. “Well, we might as well not keep His Majesty waiting. This way, please.”
With that, Protus led the group into the Nexus through an opening connected to the bridge, and as they passed through the threshold, they all winced as their ears seemed to pop. Twilight rubbed her head and looked around, eyeing the green, crystalline interior of the Nexus with curiosity. There was barely any sound, and she could swear that the sounds from the city below had been silenced as well, as if they had passed through a sound barrier.
The Nexus itself had no ceiling, or at least, none that could be seen. The walls shot up from the glassy floor into inky blackness above, and multicolored lights flashed in and out of existence within the crystal walls. The black resin that covered the exterior of the pillar bled into the interior, forming an intricate web of curling lines and spidery arcs, giving the walls an almost rune-like decor. It was beautiful, but what caught everyone’s attention were the three helices of soft golden light spiraling upwards into the darkness, each one connected to the others by thin strands of white. It was a mesmerizing sight, one that Twilight recognized instantly.
She let out a small gasp and covered her mouth with both of her forehooves, flying up and around the marvellous sight. “A triple helix...!” she whispered.
“Welcome to the heart of the Primordial Hive, and our race,” Protus said proudly, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply. “There is a reason why we call this place the Nexus. It is from this place that we were created, and where this entire Hive grew from.”
“Grew?” Thorax wondered, walking over to the triple helix hologram and passing a hoof through one of the streams. When he pulled it back, his hoof felt warm and fuzzy, and yet not uncomfortable. For a moment, his mind even became clearer, and the dark words spoken to him by the monster in the Frozen North seemed to fade, as if retreating from something holy.
What is this place? he wondered.
Sanctuary...
Thorax’s eyes went wide. Where had that voice come from, and where had it gone? It was there for a moment, like a gentle breeze in the air caressing his cheek, and then gone the next. He reached out towards it with his mind, and yet found nothing.
“Hives aren’t built, they’re grown,” Protus answered, unaware of Thorax’s confusion. “The Primordial Hive is no exception. It is the Ur-Changeling, hundreds of thousands of years old, fed by the love of its children. We don’t know where it came from, or if it will ever die, but the Nexus is its heart, and it protects it well, just as we do. This is the reason why the Hives shift and change like we do, because we are the Hive, and the Hive is us.”
Rarity’s eyes sparkled as she stared into the light, her jaw slowly dropping. “My word...so does this mean...?”
“We’re looking at the life blood of the Changeling race!” Twilight finished, landing on the glassy floor next to them. Her face bore such an expression of academic excitement that she looked close to hyperventilating. “Where they all began. No wonder why they call it the Primordial Hive, it’s as old as the planet itself! We’re looking at history, at the cornerstone of the Changeling race, and...and sweet Celestia, Faust, and all the rest, this is...this is...I don’t even know what this is! HAHAHA, I don’t know what this is!!”
“Use your words, Twi,” Applejack advised.
“Words! Large words!” Twilight screeched, hopping on the tips of her hooves.
Applejack blinked. “Uh, Twi? Ya good there, sugarcube?”
“I’m just cubic, sugar!”
The farmer rolled her eyes. “Right, shoulda guessed, we broke her.”
Spike held up his hands. “Don’t look at me, I’m not fixing her. Just give it a minute, she’ll reboot on her own.”
Protus chuckled. “Excitable, isn’t she? Come on, that’s enough sightseeing. You might want to brace yourselves.”
“For what?” Rarity asked.
“This,” Protus replied, kneeling down and touching the floor with a hoof. He then closed his eyes and breathed out.
A few moments passed, and Applejack tilted her head in confusion. “What’s he doin’?”
Thorax opened his mouth to answer only to pause when the voice he heard before entered his mind once more, calm and motherly. Who are you, Thorax?
Thorax finally had enough. He grew tired of mysterious voices invading his mind, and he grew tired of not having answers. Ignoring his fears and the memories of the Frozen North, he closed his eyes, focused his mind, and finally let his mind free, feeling the ordered, yet equally tumultuous rush of the Hivemind inside him once more. He could feel every voice from his own Hive, and so many from the Primordial Hive, but he only sought one. Who are you?
The voice gave a melodious chuckle. You know my name.
No I don’t. I’ve never heard your voice until now.
There was a short pause. All my children know my voice, but whether they wish to hear it is up to them. I am the force that guided you here. I am the voice of the Mother of All, the First and Last Hive. I am the Primordial.
Thorax’s mind reeled. He was speaking to the Hive itself! H-how is this possible?
You will learn, and understand. For now, you must ask yourself: who are you?
...Who am I? I’m Thorax, that’s who I am.
The voice sighed. You do not understand, but you will. For now, live your life. Trust in your friends, and learn. Then, when you have learned, speak. And then, when you have spoken, King Thorax, you will change. The voice fell silent after that.
W-wait! Don’t leave yet! I have so many questions. Silence met his mind, and with a sigh, he left the Hivemind and lowered his head.
Spike walked up to him and put a hand on his side. “Ya good there, buddy?”
Thorax nodded. “Yeah, just...confused, is all.”
Protus opened his eyes and breathed in once more as he stood up. “There, that should do it. I’ve asked the Hive for its assistance in taking us to the fourth level --- the Clockwork Pavilion. Brace yourselves.”
Applejack groaned. “Ya keep usin’ that phrase, and ya keep not tellin’ us what for!”
Protus shrugged, and repeated, “For this.”
Applejack snorted and stamped a hoof. “Stop repeatin’ and just--”
The crystal floor around them suddenly bulged, and before the visitors knew what was happening, they were pulled inside. The floor then returned to normal, and the Nexus returned to its normal stillness.
The triple helix hologram pulsed, and a maternal voice giggled merrily.
(The Frozen North, Mount Everhoof)
Her one, terrified eye stared out of her violet prison. Her entire body, mutilated and transformed into something unholy, trembled like a leaf in the wind. Unseen tears streamed down her face, dissolving in the goo she swam in. A few days ago she would have happily taken a dip inside a goo pod, but now it only represented the pure evil that was before her. She was trapped, and she was damned forever.
She slammed a crystallized hoof against the pod’s walls and shrieked, her voice muffled and gargled by the goo around her. No one heard her. No one cared about one little half-blind Changeling.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The Voice cared. He was in her mind constantly, and he was enjoying her screams.
Two claws made of purple and black crystal burst out of the ground and rose up to the pod, yellow, reptilian eyes adorning their palms. Her screaming stopped, as did her struggling, and she bowed her head as she awaited what came next. What always came next.
The eyes in the claws glowed, and she screamed again, this time in pain.
Such was the sight that Pharynx saw when he entered the small, icy cavern at the very back of the cave system. He and Chrysalis had converted it into a makeshift laboratory for their new ally, and had scavenged their supplies for crude tools and bottles for him to use. A small pedestal lay in the center of the lab, the Dark Crystal sitting proudly on top, and several crystal claws moving about the cave carried various forms of purple crystal and beakers of Changeling goo. Another was hovering near a stone table with surgical equipment on it, as well as several scrolls and bottles with various pastes and powders inside.
Pharynx looked away from the unnerving sight and stared at the goo pod at the very back of the cave, its walls and interior a sickly dark violet instead of its natural green color. He could barely even see the Changeling female inside, but he could see a dark shape jerking about inside. The two claws with their glowing palms facing the pod closed into fists and lowered back into the ground, and the shadowy form in the pod stopped moving.
A deep, throaty chuckle met Pharynx’s ears, and despite himself, he wilted at the sound. Ah, general, how fortuitous to see you again. What can I do for you?
Pharynx steeled himself and narrowed his eyes at the Dark Crystal on the pedestal. “The Queen wishes to know the state of your...experiments, and how much progress you’ve made.”
Why, I’d say it’s coming along swimmingly! The Voice’s tone was oddly chipper, unnerving Pharynx even more. You Changelings are such fascinating creatures. Did you know that have two brains, one larger and the other smaller and hidden within the larger one? I have yet to discover what the auxiliary brain does, but I suspect it has to do with your “Hivemind”. Unfortunately, I can’t dig any further, or it would be too damaged for our plans.
“Charming...” Pharynx muttered. “What about your progress? How far away are we from completion?”
Not far now, my dear general. I’d say a few more days, and I will have the perfect prototype soldier for your new army.
Pharynx carefully maneuvered around the pedestal and the claws, until he was face-to-face with the pod. Even this close, he still couldn’t make out any details within. The goo was just too thick. “And her?”
Hm? What about her?
“Is she...alright in there?”
If the Voice had a body, Pharynx imagined he would be shrugging now. More or less, I suppose. She’s a fighter, much like you. Still, the vivisection and resuscitation went quite well, and she’s alive. That’s all I require.
Pharynx’s eyes went wide and he whirled around to face the Dark Crystal, a furious snarl adorning his face. “VIVISECTION?!?!”
My dear general, how else did you think I was able to discover the second brain?
Pharynx’s vision turned red, and he reached for the blade at his side, only to freeze in shock when he saw what adorned the walls of the lab. There were now shelves that weren’t there before, stocked with a dozen transparent, crystal jars. Each one had an organ or bone within it: a spleen, a rib, a kidney, a Changeling horn, a milky white eyeball, and...a still-beating heart.
His jaw dropped, and his stomach twisted. He moved his hoof from his blade to his mouth, and gagged. The Voice merely sighed. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before in combat, general.
“This...this is...an abomination...” Pharynx whispered, stepping back until his rump pressed against the pod.
This is progress, general. I needed a precise and accurate depiction of what a Changeling looked like inside, and in order for that to happen, I needed to do a little...digging. I can assure you, your Changeling is still alive and reasonably well. She is being kept alive by one of those...what do you call them, thaumatic batteries? I used one from your Changelings as a replacement heart for her, while keeping her suspended in the goo. Fascinating stuff, by the way, with a chemical makeup unlike anything I have ever seen in my own world. Perfectly harmless to Changelings, and yet caustic at the right temperature, and yet also capable of hardening to an incredibly sturdy material. Have you ever considered using it as natural armor? The Voice hummed. Oh, there I go again, rambling away. She will be the only one, general. No other Changeling will feel what she has felt, nor will I need to do it again to her. From this point onward, it’s smooth sailing, as they say.
“Damn you!” Pharynx cursed. “This isn’t what I agreed to!”
But it is what Chrysalis agreed to. She endorsed this, and as you and your Changelings say, the Queen is always right. Are you...doubting her?
Pharynx sucked in a breath, and he slammed an angry hoof against the cave floor, making it crack. “Listen here and listen well, you creep. I am loyal to the Queen now and forever, and I’m in this until the end. I despise you, but my Queen trusts you, and I trust her, despite what you’ve done. What she does is for the good of the Hive, the true Hive, not that bastardization of it my puny brother has created. You insult her honor by using her name without earning the right to do so, and I won’t stand for it. Stick to your work, finish your experiments, and then inform me once you’re done.” he hissed, walking around the pedestal. “But make no mistake, if you betray my Queen, or fail her, I won’t hesitate to lift your crystal overhead and smash it, and then grind what’s left of it into dust.”
The Voice chuckled again as Pharynx approached the exit. My dear general, I would never dream of betraying your Queen. She is an ally, and I treat my allies with the respect and honesty they deserve. She will have her army and her revenge, and you will have nothing to fear.
Pharynx paused at the threshold for a moment before leaving the cave. As he did, one of the crystal claws burned away in a green flame, and four hooves touched down on the floor. Chrysalis stared after her retreating general and smirked.
He disapproves.
“I know,” she replied. “But he means well, and I will need him for the future. He’s the only smart one of the whole lot.”
That just makes him the most dangerous one.
She let out a low laugh. “True enough, I suppose. Still, he wouldn’t dream of going against his Queen. It’s not in his nature, and it goes against Changeling instinct. It’s part of who we are, to bow and revere the ones above us, despite what we may do.”
The more I hear about this instinct of yours, the more I wish I could study more of your kind up close, especially those from the other tribes you told me about. However, I gave my word, and one shall do for now.
“All you need to do is ask,” Chrysalis said. “And I will tell you what you need to know. I am far older than I look, and the Changeling race has many secrets that go beyond what you see in this mere drone.” She tapped a hoof playfully against the pod, grinning.
I will have to take you up on that offer then, my lady. But not yet. Pharynx is right about one thing, I must return to my work. Would you like to assist me?
“What’s your end goal?” Chrysalis asked.
If I am to create an army from one drone, she will need to be a perfect specimen. She is not yet perfect for her intended purpose.
“And what purpose is that?”
She will be the mother of a new breed. An eighth tribe of Changelings. The next generation has to come from somewhere, after all.
Chrysalis flashed her fangs. “In that case, I may have some pointers, my lord.”
The Voice hummed, and Chrysalis felt one of the claws pat her shoulder. Call me Malefor.
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Sweet Jesus...
This...
...
If you wanted to make a truly vile villain... you
...
...
You certainly succeeded...
Cuimhnigh dearmad a dhéanamh, le do thoil... Anam bocht.
...
Malefor...
His experiments... what he's done...
Last time I've felt this horrified was in Fallout Eauestria.
...
I don't know what to say.
It's beautifully horrifying.
And Chrysalis called him her lord.
11068964
Ooooooh, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
OH NO!!!! THE DARK MASTER LIVES!!
11068964
Malefor is going to betray her sooner than later is going to raise an army of new Changelings from what exactly? Will he be going after Cynder or Twilight?
11072457
Or, perhaps something else might happen...
11072824
Good point.
Hey, I called it! Malefor was in that crystal, after all!
That aside, I like how you're building up the Primordial to be a sort of Big Good (barring any twists). While this seems like a slow chapter in terms of moving the story (save for the last section with Pharynx and Chrysalis), you make up for it a lot with good characterization over the other Hives and the world in general without making me feel like this is an exposition dump.
It's sad that I'm just one chapter away from finishing what you have so far; here's that I won't have to wait too long to see the next one after Chapter 9!
11110656
You won’t have to wait too much longer. In fact, I’m writing it right now. I had kinda taken a break over December for the holidays, and also to rest my brain a bit.
And yeah, this particular chapter wasn’t big on plot, but it’s big on world-building. Chapter 9 follows a similar suit with Starlight and the others in Warfang (although in 9’s case, it also sets up a few plot points for future stories too), and Chapter 10 (which is the one I’m working on right now) will switch back once more to Twilight and Thorax to finish up the Hive exploration before jumping back into plot advancement and backstory. It’ll also be fairly long, but it’s pretty much the last of the “info-dump chapters” (for lack of a better term).
Chapter 11, on the other hand...hooooo boy, that’s when the plot really gets going and the pace begins to pick up. And Chapter 12...well, won’t give that one away, but that one is BIG on plot. Even bigger than 11.
Wait, so is it Forty Million as Protus just said, or is it Twenty Eight Million as this bit just said?
11168519
Oops! I was editing it to 40 million, must’ve missed this somehow. Thanks!