Chapter 49
Amie dreaded the return to the Elders' chamber.
Not because she didn't want to see Wes again—rather, a persistent level of dread remained in the back of her mind, whispering of all the terrible things that must have happened to him while she was gone and unable to help. If any harm came to him, she would have to live with the guilt.
She owed Wes her protection more than any other bug in her care. But her new powers didn't care how much she wanted to protect him, she still couldn't feel his thoughts, or see through his eyes. The only way to know if he was still alive was to see for herself.
There was no gruesome display waiting for them in the Elders' chambers. Instead, she found her brother sitting in the corner of the room, alone on a wide expanse of sand.
The elders surrounded him, heads bowed and eyes closed. Strange incense burned, filling the air with smoke that made Amie instantly light-headed.
Kaya slowed her pace, blocking Amie's advance with her wing as they closed in on the unusual scene. "They are looking into his future," she whispered, her voice quiet and respectful. "A great honor for one who is not of our tribe. We must watch from afar, or we will interfere in the magic."
Amie stopped where indicated, settling back onto her haunches. Reading the future sounded like a load of crap—but so was transforming, or borrowing the body of another bug far away. Stranger things were possible. She tried to meet Wes's eyes, but he didn't seem to notice her. If he had decided to go along with the ritual, then she would watch from the sidelines and not interfere.
A low murmur passed through the circle of elderly bugs. Their voices joined together, a perfectly synchronized chorus. Similar magic to the way she had controlled the bugs in her swarm?
She couldn't understand a word of what they said. Even so they repeated themselves, a few lines whispered over and over in sequence.
Wes opened one eye, looking out at the circle in confusion. Then he saw Amie there, lifted up one hoof to wave—and put it back down just as quickly.
The ritual ended a few seconds later. The elders all stood, their concentration broken. Someone turned in his direction. Maybe they had been listening. Then a bow moved through the crowd. Not for Amie, obviously. But a real queen was beside her.
"That was... interesting," Wes said, without a bow. "I didn't... understand anything that just happened. Can someone translate for me?"
He stood, then walked away from the patch of smooth sand. His steps were slow and deliberate, as though afraid he was going to knock over an invisible sandcastle. But nothing happened, there was no sign of interference.
The circle of elders parted for him, nodding politely as they did so. Yet none of them spoke to him further. It was ultimately Kaya who answered his question, and Amie's unspoken desire for more information at the same time.
"It was a prophecy," Kaya said. “Even I cannot interpret those perfectly. But I can translate our old language. They said... that futures diverge with you, for bugs all over the planet. Being a bug that important is dangerous, I think..."
She turned away from the elders. "I'm not certain if they meant what they said. They suggest that there is another struggling to be like you. Go deep into the cold, north to the Empire, and search."
Amie's expression darkened. "They want us to go somewhere else? Now?"
The blind bugs filed away from them, one after another. One among their number stopped in front of Amie, meeting her eyes. There was no anger there at her skepticism. She didn't even look directly at her, just close enough.
"We do not order or compel, we can only observe. We see that your brother will never learn the secret of his transformation on his own. He must go north. What you do with that knowledge is up to you."
She left, joining the other blind bugs as they walked slowly from the room.
Only the queen remained, and her spy. The spy with a book of priceless knowledge. "I welcome you to return in the future," she said. "For my sake and yours nymph, do not come in person. You are a greater potential rival than any other queen on this planet. I trust you—but queens ought to meet little. Send drones only, or we will see your arrival as an advancing army of war."
Amie nodded weakly. One moment she could forget she wasn't talking to another human being—then the changeling queen said something like that, and made herself seem exceptionally dangerous and strange.
The orange bugs had come from Earth long ago, but none living had ever been human. She needed to remember that.
"I understand. I'll send another bug in my place next time. It seems like I shouldn’t leave the nest much. I know you're right, but I'm not happy about it. Doing things on my own has always been what makes life worth living."
Kaya settled one hoof onto her shoulder again, almost motherly. "I am sorry, nymph. Be consoled that you may experience your domain through the many bugs who love you. When you have eggs of your own, seeing them grow will more than make up for any missing personal adventures. Until then—I have another aid expedition ready to depart with you. I know this strange new species of bug requires time to sleep, so I've prepared quarters as well. You can rest there, and leave with the expedition when sunrise comes."
Amie turned towards the queen, and bowed low. Maybe queens weren't supposed to use gestures like that for each other, but how could she not?
"Thank you, Kaya. I don't know how long my tribe will remain on Equus. But if we're stranded here, we won't ever forget this kindness. If we can survive the wrath of Equestria and the cold of winter, we'll find a way to repay."
Kaya chuckled, then nudged Amie back into a standing position. "If you survive long enough, your versatility may spell the end of hunger for changelings of all tribes. We cannot harvest the same emotions as you, but all glamour is equal. Focus on your survival for now, nymph. And don't lower your neck to other queens again."
She left them there, abandoned in the secrecy of the Elders' chamber. Except that Natane was still watching from a few feet away. Until that moment she had kept silent, but now she spoke. "I... beg the tolerance of Queen Amie. I can show you to your quarters, where the strange male can rest."
The strange male—that was one word for it. Strangely, she found it almost endearing. "Lead the way."
She did. Only when they were leaving the darkened corner of Sonoma could she finally get a private word with her brother. Private, except for the spy leading them. There would be no secrets so long as she was around. Amie would pay a high price for knowledge.
"They didn't cut you open," she began, after a brief hug. She wouldn't dare show affection like that with the queen or any Elders present. He might be immune to the need to feed on emotions, but that was not an advantage in a changeling city. It only meant he was the food. "What did they do?"
"Magic, mostly. Some of it hurt a little, but it didn't last long. They wanted to see me change, and see how much like a pony I was. Talked about how I have to sleep and eat and that kinda stuff. Then they wanted to see what my future looked like, and I said they could. That was pretty much it."
Their guide took them back up through the streets of Sonoma. The sun had gone from the sky when they finally emerged in the shadow of the mountain. Aside from the light, there was no obvious sign that anything had changed. The city's bugs continued their hard work, doing whatever it was that bugs did when they weren't out hunting.
"I'm glad," she said. "I trust Pachu'a, but it's still... good to see he was right. Thank you for coming with—thanks to you being brave, a lot of campers won't starve."
Wes nodded, ears flattening in embarrassment. "You say that like I should have any credit for it. I was just... doing the right thing. I was lucky enough to have a sister to get me out of that place. They weren't."
You won't like that we have to go back. If only her powers had worked on him—then they could speak without fear of being overheard. Whether she trusted the orange tribe or not, instinct told her that it would be unwise to show too much vulnerability. Her kids needed allies, and to do that they would have to feel like they had something to offer for the risk.
Natane brought them to their quarters a little while later. It was bigger than she expected, a huge stone apartment about the same size as the one the queen used for her meditation. There was only a single bed, but plenty of workspace, several desks, and a long row of padded cushions against the wall. All that furniture seemed to have a purpose, but Amie couldn’t guess what most of it would be.
"I hope this is to your satisfaction," Natane said, stepping inside. "It is the same used by visiting diplomats of the other tribes. You have been given the same honors."
Amie nodded gratefully. "It's wonderful. I would ask... do you have candles, anywhere? Any flame would work. What about you, Wes?"
He groaned, resting one hoof against his stomach. "Food? Like... the real stuff, not fairy dust and magic. Or—pony food. I haven't had anything since lunch, and it's sooo late already."
Natane suppressed a giggle with one hoof. "Of course. Pony... food. There is always a limited supply in storage, I will have it brought. We would not want the queen's freak drone to be injured."
"Freak drone?" He stuck out his tongue, defiant. "That's not very nice. Why is this bug with us, Amie?"
"She's coming back to Agate with me," Amie answered. "Natane, this is my brother, Wes. Wes, this is Natane. Please be nice to each other."
Wes eyed her, obviously unhappy with the arrangement. "Are you sure she's coming with us?"
"Positive." She turned back towards the bug. "If you could bring those things, that will be great. Then you're free to go until tomorrow. I won't be studying your knowledge tonight, there is... something more pressing for me to do."
Natane bowed shallowly to her, then retreated through the open doorway. At least her guest-quarters actually had a door and a latch-bolt, unlike most of the city. Other than for her, the rest of these bugs seemed to just trust each other. But Kaya had taught her well. Amie was not going to trust them too much.
"Freak," Wes repeated, as soon as she was gone. "Not a very nice girl, is she? It's like we're back in camp all over again."
Amie wrapped her foreleg around his shoulder, and held him close. "I won't let her talk to you like that. You heard what the Elders said—you're something incredible and new. You'll change the whole world."
Wes whimpered, and started to cry. He wiped a few tears from his face, brushing up against Amie's shell. "I don't... want to change anything, Amie. I just wanna go home."
She held him close, offering what reassurance she could. There was little to find in that lonely stone building, hidden under another's city.
Eventually he let go—right as Natane's hoofsteps returned, and the drone reappeared. She brought an already-burning lantern, along with a basket of hard, dried bread, and some steaming vegetables. "My queen reminded me that you were carrying your first clutch, and would require this as well. The bakery will have several fresh loaves ready for our departure. I'm sorry this is all we have to hoof right now."
It was Amie's turn to blush. "I am... thankful for the queen's generosity. Please return when it is time for us to leave. My brother and I would like our privacy until then."
Natane looked like she wanted to argue—but then she bowed again, and turned back the way she'd come. Amie shut the door behind her, and slid the latch across. Only then could she finally breathe her first sigh of relief.
It lasted about five seconds, until Wes's laughter filled the room. "Clutch? She can't be serious! Eggs need to be fertilized, don't they? Like that could happen while my sister was a horse."
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A bombshell just dropped, but not for us!
Oh it most certainly could happen, young Wes. Your sister's been adventurous in her new form.
"About that...."
Natane will grow into her role. Her upbringing shouldn't prevent the magic of friendship from expanding inside her. Perhaps she'll be the first native convert? That might be beyond the scope of this story, we'll see....
With practice the flame won't be necessary, setting skill progress indicator...
Oh, Wes.
Wes, Wes, Wes, Wes, Wes…
Let's see how he and Natane interact with each other going forward.
King cuddle bug?
So, potential Thorax appearance, huh? I guess this isn't some kind of villains-won AU after all, the only divergence will probably revolve around the reformation of the changelings.
The whole Amie carrying eggs inside her thing still feels strange. Why are changelings and ponies reproductively compatible? What are the differences between the offspring of a male changeling (assuming they can reproduce, I don't remember any mention of that) and that of a pony stallion? Why can eggs fertilized merely hours ago already cause noticeable reactions inside the mother's body? How fast do changelings multiply anyway?
Amie will have to think about informing Tailgate about this. I'm wondering when Wes will decide to go the Crystal Empire. He'll probably want to wait until the situation in Stella Lacus is less dire. Also he doens't yet now where to go at this point so he'll look for more clues before planning a lengthy trip.
That one awkward conversation when your sibling is in a relationship…
Don't Bug Me and my overly pregnant sister
So Thorax is in play. Though I wonder how alternate universe this story is. He'll have to struggle himself if this follows the normal time. Though I suppose it'll be the blue tribe that'll have the honor of being the first to free themselves from their hunger if that's the case.
Even seeing just potential timelines is very powerful magic.
Very clearly nothing until the hive is ready.
Having the ability to feed on all emotions is the next best thing to reformation. Kaya's words are no understatement. Amie has the potential to overpower every hive on the planet. Perhaps every sapient civilization on the planet. Equus may become the second planet to be conquered by humanity.
Pending Amie's hive's discovery of reformation, I'm starting to think that this might be a "How I met your Mother" moment.
Regardless, I'm quite interested in seeing Natane bringing back news to her hive of the secrets of reformation... by showing up as the first bug of her hive to be reformed.
Technically, the eggs of male eusocial insects on Earth aren't. Still... Tailslide probably won't be thrilled about this.
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There's a much bigger one waiting for Tailslide.
Hah! Well now that's about to be an awkward conversation.
Hah! Or you poor summer child.
Wes, you're gonna be an uncle!
But go north, you say? Hmm...very strange indeed...hm...
a awesome chapter.
asking Wes to go north to meat Thorax interesting.
Haha! Oh boy I can't wait to see this conversation.
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Long live the king.
So whose going to tell Wes? He has to know at this point.
Amie is learning quick on being a new Queen, and part of me doesn't want her colony and herself to change to the 'reformed' changelings. Since she's been hyped that she (and by extension the camp) is fully capable of eating all forms of emotions, I want to see this expanded on.
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Don't know what the author's canon is for this story, but there were fan theories that said the changelings were corrupted flutterponies. Maybe that's why they're genetically compatible.
Thorax? that you?
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The canon for this story is that the changelings ancestors were groups of humans that were spirited away to equestria .
They were probably indigenous civilizations like the Native Americans ,Central American indigenous tribes or even European settlers .they probably turn into changelings due to their lack of natural magic and have to absorb it through emotions .
If he meets Thorax up north, it looks like Wes and possibly Amie might end up aiding in a coup to install a foreign leader friendly to their own country.
Ah, we have a more precise point in the timeline. Thorax's presence answers some questions and raises others. But those are concerns for another day; Amie still needs to get back to the camp in person. And also explain the, ahem, fertilization to her brother. Hard to say what will be rougher...
So Thorax is a thing here! Interesting.
That makes the question of how timelines diverge with Wes more... interesting. Thorax was already going to change the future with the discovery of reformation, what will Wes do? Hopefully it's more of a blessing than a curse...
Thorax is interesting... I wonder if Wes is what's going to give him inspiration later in the series or if this is going complete au
Ooo we going to meet future Snug Bug king? also Wes...about that
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that was the part the elders were too embarrassed to talk about
about that...