It has been one month since the attack on Canterlot by the mysterious monsters known as the changelings, and the Princesses Celestia and Luna are lost in a whirlwind of problems ranging from the restoration of damage to their city to quelling the nobles who wish to see changeling blood spilled for the unprovoked attack on their city. When a film appears suddenly that features not only a changeling, but one calling himself a king and claiming a desire for peace and to be from another hive entirely, the two rulers are left with several important questions.
Is what they are being told the truth?
Why is this king contacting them now?
And is this contact a ploy or prelude to another attack?
STORY FEATURED ON 8/9/2022 - MY FIRST EVER FEATURED STORY!
FEATURED 9/24/2022
FEATURED 2/12/2023
FEATURED 3/22/2023
3/23/2023 - First 100 likes/up votes story!
Not bad so far. I’m also a big fan of the multiple changeling hives idea.
I suspect the show didn't pursue the multiple hives idea itself because it had wanted to try and keep things simple on the changeling front by only ever having one party of them to have to deal with, seeing they were always side characters in the grander scheme of things. After that, it was just coming up with a decent story the writers liked that could match or top their first appearance in the show. I also suspect that's why the show pursued the reformation--it opened up greater chances of storytelling than keeping them as villains did, without having the added complexity of having to introduce an entirely separate group of changelings.
I suspect that's also why the multiple hives idea caught on as much as it did with fans--it was because introducing an alternate hive with different standards was simpler and less likely to clash with then-forthcoming canon episodes, and freed them from having to deal with or explain away the added villainous baggage that was Chrysalis's hive.
11168633
You're likely right, but I think the potential from a storytelling standpoint wasn't fully realized during the show's run. I know the show is intended for a young audience, and it was further constrained due to needing to meet E/I programming standards, but they could've done some stuff with them that was better than what they did do.
I need more.
Its good and I like it I'll be keeping an eye on it
good chapter. eagerly awaiting the next update.
Just throwing this our there because I caught it.
11233609
Fixed it
ch1
meant
ch2
it would be a very bad idea to interrupt them
I definitely like this opening, I think I will follow this one
Good story so far
Good solid start. You have my interest
Monk
"Knowledge is power and power corrupts, so study hard and be evil." - Reykan
H brought 4 and she is complaining? No sane ruler goes anywhere without security. Realistically he should have brought at least three advisors a personal servant and six guards.
What did Celestia expect? a ruler of a foreign country to just traipse in all by himself like a door to door salesmen?
Personally If it were me, I would have brought six elite guard, a personal assistant, a servant, and plenty of hidden self defense tools, including an emergency teleport disk. I would like to see Celestia just wander over to some hostile foreign country all by her lonesome and see how well that goes.
Monk
“To say that Twilight Sparkle went bugfuck would be like saying the Incredible Hulk had some mild anger management issues.” -DustTraveller
11255526
He never told her about them. If he has, she would've known what to expect in terms of numbers and had things prepared accordingly. The main point is he flubbed and she's calling him out on it. I'm sure in the back of her mind she knew he would have others with him, but wanted to call him out on his error by not saying that he would.
That was a good chapter. I see you chose some famous historical names for the advisors. Good choices on the names.
11256470
The names of the changelings in this story will either be words in Latin or Greek/Roman
Interesting to see a story like this from the ponies point of view. Normally the changeling OC would be the main character.
Hands?
Celestia, you idiot! NDA's are supposed to be signed before any sensitive information is disclosed. If she had asked them to sign it right from the start then she could simply have asked any who refused to leave the room. Here Celestia is outright threatening to arrest any staff members who don't sign the contract. Any court of law worth its salt would rip the NDA to shreds since it was signed under duress. "I didn't want to sign the contract, but I felt I had to or else I wouldn't get to go home and care for my family."
Why do I get the feeling that Celestia has met the insane queen?
I believe the word you were looking for is predecessor not successor.
11295025
Good catch
attempted
changelings
As for their hive's legend, i've seen other fics speculate that the love of a nation would be able to give a changeling enough power to rival celestia.
So unless they were bad leaders it would seem the general love and admiration should have prevented that from ever being an issue.
On that note I have read at least one fic where celestia was a changeling swapped in for celestia at celestia's request and the queen was able to move the sun and moon using the love freely given to her by the nation.
I'm just gonna put this here before I continue on, but I've had a similar idea floating around in the back of my mind; that of another changeling hive attempting contact. I've also had variations where the other hive has acted more like infiltrators and what I believe a changeling should be (as opposed to the front liners that Chrys made her hive to be) while living deep under equestrian ground and permeated themselves into Pony society entirely. All kinds of fun stuff floating around up here, but let's see what you've come up with, shall we?
is
I wonder how Twilight and the others would feel about this whole thing. And I mean everything that’s going on, not just what’s talked about in this chapter.
11302134
I've given that idea some thought. Whether I do implement it or how I would choose to implement it, I'm not sure.
unless those ponies want the absolute removal of changelings from Equestria.
Because then they might be a problem that cant be solved with peace.
11303455
Problems to be addressed in later chapters
11303455
Well one option would be to treat any action against peaceful changelings as a hate crime.
11303642
Refer to 11303499
11303686
I know I’m just saying.
great story so far i have read it since i found it and i love it so far
So....the princesses basically arresting an army, then going one by one to determine if they wanted to attack Equestria.
So, let say Canada attacked the US. Your going to arrest the Canadian army and prosecute the ones who attacked?
No one prosecutes an army. The generals, the enforcers, the political branch, yes, they get hung. The average grunt? No.
11326012
not exactly. I went back and reread the part of the story where that is happening and I can understand where it can be interpreted that way. What was intended with King Apidae's request was that the drones in Queen Chrysalis's hive not receive as harsh of a punishment as Queen Chrysalis herself, or her "war cabinet", since they're the ones who actually decided to attack Canterlot and plan it out. Any of the spies that provided information to help execute the attack would also receive a stricter punishment than the average grunt drone. As for the "determine if they're lying part", this would be part of the trial against Queen Chrysalis and the hive, and would likely be part of an offer to an individual drone to say there piece at that time. Realistically, there are probably drones that would choose not to do that.
11325922
Thank you
11326034
Np
place
current
jeopardized
had
Considering the amount of trust Apidae is giving Celestia and Luna the lack of trust they’re giving him just seems wrong. I get their reason behind it but that doesn’t make it right especially when you consider the fact that he basically just told them how to wipe out the entire changeling race.
Speaking of which, I honestly think that they’ll want to keep that information from Shining Armor at all costs. I shouldn’t have to explain why.
i am rereading this
still a great story
11327804
Yeah, like…
King Apidae: I also have this film reel, sorry, I kinda forgot about it.
The Royal Sisters: ANGERY
great chapter
I think you meant to put are instead of or.
the shark has been lept over, leaving naught but a stunned audience to wonder "Wow things are moving awfully fast aren't they?"
Good chapter!
I was honestly expecting either Cadance or Shining Armor to be the one to barge in.
11446887
I was going for some comic relief, so why not one of the biggest clowns in Canterlot?
Oh dear.
11446923
Fair point.
Knowing Blueblood I just know that he's going to make a HUGE mess of this situation or be of some use for the treaty.
Don't you dare frown. You're a bitch for thinking of it and holding these innocent ponies under duress.