Don't Bug Me

by Starscribe

Chapter 44

The trip to Sonoma took days. They encountered very little civilization during the trip—a handful of hikers and adventuring ponies, or miners scouting out their own claims for future excavation. Any of those meetings might've turned tense, with Pachu'a's group content to intimidate them out of interaction.

But Amie knew ponies better than that. They just wanted a little friendly small-talk, maybe to stop and share lunch and gossip for a while. While the hunters might've raised suspicion, at least as a group of intimidating travelers out in the woods, she quickly put them at ease.

Maybe that was just another instinct. Once they became friendly with her, it meant a second kind of meal in addition to their trail rations.

"You really can eat anything," Pavati muttered, when a group of swarthy loggers finally left them to resume their slow paddling up the river. "Is that a queen's talent too?"

"No," Pachu'a answered instantly. "I've met Queen Kaya. She feeds on pride and accomplishment, the same as all our swarm. No other feelings. With all positive emotions set before you—every pony settlement would be a feast."

Amie nodded. "Ponies give far better food when they know who you are. I don't know if you've ever noticed that... but the more lies you have to hide behind, the less you get."

Pachu'a stopped in his tracks, staring at her. "How would a hunter even test such a theory? Prey are instantly hostile to all our kind. The instinct is deep and primordial, making their minds cloudy and slow. Look at how they occupy your camp like a warzone, when the reality is an exile of weak and starving."

Amie opened her mouth to argue—then shut it again. She could tell them about Ivy's willingness to accept her, and the friendship they had built. But Pachu'a watched her with such concern that Amie looked away. They don't want to believe ponies and changelings can get along. Why?

One more question to ask their queen when they finally arrived.

Eventually the hiking ended, and they reached their destination. It was a little railroad station, complete with a switch and a telegraph line. Pachu'a opened the building, revealing a single machine connected to the wire, occasionally spitting out another message of dots and dashes on a thin paper tape.

The other male hunter took it with a sheet of paper, then worked silently for a few minutes. Eventually he stood up, holding his page. "The train will be safe now. But we will need to make good time to the Turquoise Junction, or else risk meeting the Salt Lick Express going the other direction."

Pachu'a waved them all out of the building again, locked it tight, then back into a larger warehouse behind. Inside was a piece of living history.

Amie recognized a steam train from plenty of old photos, though that was as far as her understanding went. The engine had a coal wagon behind it, then a single passenger car behind that. Amie had no idea how any of it worked, just got into the passenger car beside Pachu'a.

Wes lit up as soon as he saw the old machine, chatting excitedly with the other hunter about track gages and boiler pressure and lots of other things that Amie didn't know or care about. The bug was only too eager to let Wes be the one to shovel coal, or work the water pump.

"He seems familiar with rail," Pachu'a said, taking the seat opposite Amie. "Was your brother an engineer in the ancient homeland? That would... perhaps begin to explain his connection to a queen. One of value and understanding."

She suppressed a giggle. "My brother has... basic understanding of many things. His problem was never being able to settle on a single interest. His knowledge is vast, and shallow."

The hunter nodded. He trimmed a little gas lamp in the car, then brought over a bottle and a single glass for her. "I'm afraid we use this route too infrequently to store anything fresher for either of you. Most bugs don't eat, as you know. But some of us enjoy this. I know the vineyard, and the winemaker. Every bottle is prepared with incredible devotion. You can taste the pride in their work."

Amie let him pour a single glass. She sipped, and found the taste was exactly as good as described. Most of her enjoyment came without any magical sustenance, though. It was less that the liquid provided any nourishment, and more that there was just enough emotion in the bottle to change the taste.

To her relief, Wes did eventually return, right before they rolled away from the hidden rail station. He stumbled in with his hooves covered in coal dust and his mane wild from the wind. "Did you know they have hundreds of little stations like this?" he asked, grinning. "Wouldn't it be awesome to live in one? Service the trains coming by, helping passengers, stamping tickets... It's like being back in the wild west! Without the shootouts."

I hope, Amie thought. She waved for Pachu'a to put away the bottle, before her brother could get any ideas. Not that a glass of underage drinking was even on their radar compared to all the other awful things they had to deal with.

Once they left the trails for rails, the trip was incredibly rapid. By sunset, they had already left the mountains behind, passing through desert wilderness that would've been equally at home in the American Southwest. They passed through a few towns along the way, without stopping to pick up passengers. None of those ponies had any idea who rode the mysterious ghost-train.

Then they came to a hidden switch, which took them off the well-maintained pony route and onto a hidden track. By dawn, they'd arrived in another secret waystation, where the train could be looped around and backed into a storage building.

Wes stepped out of the train first, wearing his unicorn disguise again. His hooves landed in tan desert dirt, tail flicking nervously behind him. "It's like that summer we saw the Grand Canyon, Amie. Remember?"

She landed beside him. So far from Agate, she didn't worry too much about reusing Rain Fly. She'd been the pegasus so often that it felt more natural to her than almost any other shape. Only the bat was easier, thanks to how she'd used it. But smaller felt like a better match, when she worried about being noticed.

"I remember someone being too scared of heights for the glass bridge. Bet you'd be brave enough to do it now though."

He nodded weakly. "Yeah. Heights... Rick can fly, Amie. We really gotta learn how to do that." He drifted off, following the other hunters to help with final maintenance for the train. They didn't refuse his help, even if he had to be told explicitly what to do at every step. Amie and Pachu'a waited outside the building for them to finish, watching the sunrise together.

"We draw close to the great city of Sonoma, our hidden capital. Don't listen to what the tribe of Red or Blue whispers to you, it is the greatest ever carved by any swarm. It is an honor to be accepted there as guests."

Amie nodded. "I'm a little surprised you had hunters so far away. A day of flight and another day by rail, that seems like a long way. Why not hunt closer to the city?"

He stiffened, considering her before he answered. "Sometimes I forget—you come from a world of plenty. The ancient Homeland is a great and prosperous place, is it not? Great herds of prey wander from one side to the other, so vast they blot out the plains. The old stories say that no one ever wants for food."

What was he talking about? Great herds of prey... "No one wants for food in this part of the world," she said. "There are others less fortunate. Our homeworld wasn't perfect. There were wars, some great. And humans were not always kind to each other. Ponies could teach them a few lessons about that."

Pachu'a laughed. "And you think ponies are always kind? You have been living with them too long, if you think that is so. Cast your eyes back to the camp, and see the state they created. It is a... painful example to all bugs, of how ponies would see us die. Starving and alone, waiting to freeze."

He seemed to expect her to do something, judging by the way he retreated from her. That queen magic stuff, maybe. She was tempted to try—but not in such a strange place, where she would be left so vulnerable. If something happened with Wes, she would be ready.

"You're right. I got to know Commander Path in Agate, and he was an asshole. But sometimes being with them reminds me of home. Makes it easier to forget what was taken from us."

She flicked her tail at the railroad again. The other hunters were just about finished cleaning up, covering the building with a complex, interwoven net. From above, it would probably make it look like a rock, blending into the environment. "So why hunt so far away? If I'm really a queen, I might need to know things like this. Might as well learn from the civilized bugs who came before us."

He nodded slowly. "True Pride is more difficult to harvest than any emotion the other swarms require. There is little enough to go around that we must scatter from one end of Equestria to the other. I will... not tell you of our fertile hunting grounds, this knowledge is secret. But I will say that wherever ponies achieve, even small achievements like new mines in the mountains or what they believe to be a successful containment of a dangerous threat—we may harvest some for the swarm."

It's was her turn to laugh. She wobbled, and only caught herself on Wes when he approached. The bugs stared at her, watching with confusion. Only after she was fully struggling to breathe did she finally manage to stop herself.

"What happened?" Pavati demanded. "What did the huntmaster say that amuses you, strange queen?"

She finally stopped, still breathing raggedly. "I just realized. The ponies of Agate—their military outpost is worse than useless. They have failed to trap the bugs of my... swarm. Several have escaped without their notice, and we're planning to get many more free. But they believe they're so successful, they can be proud enough to feed another swarm of hunters from far away. Commander Path deserves a promotion."

Compared to the constant chill wind of Agate, Amie found the harsh sun incredibly refreshing. Instead of being on the edge of freezing, every little gust of wind helped her relax, making the hike surprisingly comfortable.

They walked no marked trail, just an endless expanse through red desert. Vast stone monuments rose on all sides, though none were recognizable to her. If only she cared a little bit more about geography, she might be able to verify a theory growing in the back of her mind.

There were hidden wells buried under shallow sand, ready for them to stop and refresh their water. Other than that, there was only sparse vegetation, and very few animals.

"Seems like a strange place to put your capital," Wes muttered, as they began hiking up one identical slope of rock among many others. "Where are you supposed to grow your crops? You can't have farms out here."

"We don't have farms anywhere," Pavati said. At least she wasn't acting constantly suspicious around Wes anymore. "Farming is for prey—they can eat the fruit of the land. With their magic, they can even turn this place fertile. But we don't need it. We don't rely on pegasi for weather control, either. Wild storms sweep over this place, scaring away unwanted visitors."

"There is a railway leading directly into Sonoma," Pachu'a said. "Whatever we need travels by that route, hidden underground. We have... skilled negotiators and merchants. But we do not need to import much. The swarm is industrious and dedicated. There is no craft we can't master."

Then they reached a turn in the trail, and Amie got her first look at Sonoma.

Author's Note:

It appears this chapter did not get published at the correct time. For now, my goal is just to make sure that everything gets up when it should, though it may mean this double-week means a future week will lack a chapter.

Comments

[Chicago Ted]

She feeds on pride and accomplishment

Ah yes, Queen KayEA.

[Melody Song]

Commander Path does deserve a promotion, for being able to feed an entirely different species

[minibox]

Good to see what happened before Amie's meeting with the queen. Understand more of the changeling mindset from the hunters escorting her.

"There are others less fortunate. Our homeworld wasn't perfect. There were wars, some great. And humans were not always kind to each other. Ponies could teach them a few lessons about that."

I would not say that. Despite the magic and the guidance of their princesses, they're more human than alien with actual flaws. They are also in an age of prosperity to boot. I could imagine them having some of the same social problems we have should our places be switched or if they have complete control of their world.

But I will say that wherever ponies achieve, even small achievements like new mines in the mountains or what they believe to be a successful containment of a dangerous threat—we may harvest some for the swarm.

Yup, they're definitely tapping the containment zone.

"I just realized. The ponies of Agate—their military outpost is worse than useless. They have failed to trap the bugs of my... swarm. Several have escaped without their notice, and we're planning to get many more free. But they believe they're so successful, they can be proud enough to feed another swarm of hunters from far away. Commander Path deserves a promotion."

If not for the Elements, Equestria would've fallen long ago. Pride turning to hubris is a dangerous thing.

"Whatever we need travels by that route, hidden underground. We have... skilled negotiators and merchants. But we do not need to import much. The swarm is industrious and dedicated. There is no craft we can't master."

Sonoma's certainly a jewel in the desert.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Ah. This does explain the rather sudden cut between chapters before. Fascinating to see both sides of the feedback loop that makes ponies and changelings see each other as monsters, and how memories of Earth have warped over untold generations. I do wonder what the Red and Blue tribes might feed on (and there's further evidence of changelings not being the monolithic force that ponies imagine.) Sorry to hear the auto-updater skipped a beat, but I'm glad it's been addressed.

[harts fire]

Oh a amazing chapter that fills in so much.

[parlaptie]

Oh, so there was a chapter missing? That's been quite disorienting. If only author's notes could appear at the beginning of a chapter, not just at the end.

She feeds on pride and accomplishment, the same as all our swarm.

Did you have to use that particular phrasing? I mean, you have to know what it evokes.

Now I'm wondering how there's a railroad going directly to Sonoma when Pachu'a has previously said that the swarm hasn't built any railroads themselves. Is this just an oversight in consistency?

[AllenVth]

Amie is right, Commander path deserves a promotion.

[ChakatRedstripe]

I thought it felt like there was a bit of a jump. Good chapter though

[Cedric Bale]

Like others, I had thought the sudden jump to Sonoma was a bit jarring, but I thought you were just trying to move the story along quicker lol. It definitely feels a lot better with this chapter in place, the offhand mention that they fed on Pride seemed to come out of nowhere previously.

"Double-week"? Is there another chapter incoming, or did I miss something?

[Nez12213]

11458585
Authors notes CAN appear at the start of a chapter. It’s a choice. You just can’t put it in the middle.

This chapter has some context I think was needed. This is where they specify that the Orange lings eat pride and the green ones eat everything. Very important detail I didn’t realize I missed out on.

[redmar]

Commander Path does seem like the typical member of the Canterlot Elite. I seriously doubt Celestia believes in his accomplishments nearly as much as he does himself.

[Alyarin9000]

So they're native americans (the 'plains' gives it away)! Interesting. Probably from an ancient age. Question is, where the blue and... red? 'lings come from. I doubt Chryssie comes from a nice place... Red is another question entirely.

And as suspected, when faced with 'ponies aren't monsters', the orange 'lings are terrified of the implications. They've got a box FULL of skeletons under their closet.

[Alivaril]

"No," Pachu'a answered instantly. "I've met Queen Kaya. She feeds on pride and accomplishment, the same as all our swarm.

Ah, so she's the Queen of EA Lootboxe—ah, other people already made that joke. Same brain cell!

[Lopernicus]

11458585
I think they probably use the main railroad, but at that “hidden switch” is where they started building their own.