> Plague: A Tale of Two Tyrants
>  by Fossil-Dragon-Messiah
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Plague
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Queen Larvirus sat in her thrown, eager to find something to take her frustration out on. This plague that afflicted her hive had robbed all specimens of there fertility. Any of the eggs that were laid in the early days of the infection were stillborn. Now, no eggs were laid at all. No attempts at reproduction bore any fruit. Her hive was doomed to die off, slowly, like a dying star. Larvirus inhabited a cave in the frozen lands of the north, far from the deserts where queen Locestris brought together Queen Scarabax of the eastern hive and Queen Mothura of the western hive to form one "United Hive" where changelings could be safe during the reign of the creature of chaos. Larvirus was the only one to refuse the offer. The northern hive does not submit to weaklings.
The tyrannical changeling began to wish her hive had more scientists and spell casters rather than the savage collection of brutes and warmongers it currently was.
The massive door to Larvirus's chamber creaked open and from behind popped the head of General Cicadan, a stinger, and Larvirus's advisor. "Your majesty? May I have a word with you?"
Larvirus looked at the soldier with disdain. The smoothness of her voice did nothing to conceal the tone of anger and hatred. "Cicadan, unless you have cured this damned plague, I want nothing to do with you right now."
"But your majesty, I think I have an idea on where to start!" the general said.
"You have my attention..." The Queen grunted.
"Th-Thank you, your majesty." The Stinger regained his composure and spoke. "A courier from the deserts arrived earlier. Queen Mothura has offered to-"
Larvirus sprinted across the chamber until she was right on top of her general. The tip of her horn pressed against Cicadan's neck. "Were you a lesser soldier, I would send you to the jaws of Vermivorous myself for suggesting we align with those weaklings to the south. Now go and scrub down your barracks, top to bottom. Do you understand Cicadan?"
Sweat dripped from the general's neck, he was shaking and could barely form the words he was trying to speak. "Y-yes, y-your majesty."
"Good. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."
Cicadan hurried out the door, trying to put as much distance between him and his queen as possible. Larvirus sighed. It was bad enough that her hive was dying. The fact that her hive was full of incompetent fools did nothing to alleviate the queen's stress. Her only escape from the cacophony of idiocy was an artifact that her family stole long ago. A weapon of immense power, Soraniah, the claw of Thanatyak, the god of death. The scythe was hidden in a chamber only Larvirus knew how to access.
Being near the weapon released a sort of soothing energy. The weapon contained too much power to be wielded in battle without vaporizing the holder. Larvirus knew this, and it made her livid. What good is a weapon that can't be used? Still, Soraniah relieved Larvirus of some her stress. 
The queen unlocked the secret compartment that housed the scythe. She felt its therapeutic aura wash over her. But something was off. The soothing waves were stronger, and soon Larvirus found she wasn't able to support her own weight. She collapsed, unconscious.
When the queen woke up she heard something.
"Heheheh.."
"Who's there?" The startled queen shouted
"Hohohoh.."
Larvirus, had had enough. She was not one to be teased. "Show yourself, Coward!" 
A voice spoke. "You speak of cowardice. You know not who you address. Show some respect, maggot..."
The queen snarled. "You are the one who does not know who you address! I demand that you show yourself this instant!"
"Very well."
A black smoke whirled around the room. Chuckling could be heard echoing from the shadows. Eventually the whirl smoke condensed into a more defined shape. One that made Larvirus question her sanity.
Where the cloud of shadow once stood, was a silhouette of a pony, with two red eyes growing with a purple aura sat.
Larvirus had heard of the ponies before. Soft, fleshy things that the creature of chaos toyed with and was eventually defeated by.
"A pony?" How did a weak little pony get into my hive?" Larvirus asked.
The silhouette laughed a low, guttural laugh. "You see, your highness, I'm not actually here. This projection is my messenger to you and your hive. I can save you...If you are willing to cooperate."
"Enough!" The queen shouted. "State your name so that I may know whose life I end."
The shadowy figure appeared to smirk. "I have no true name. I am that which goes bump in the night. I am the monster hiding under the young one's beds. I am fear incarnate! This form is merely a physical vessel I adopted so that I may interact with this world more...intimately. The name of the one's form I have taken is... Sombra."
"Well... Sombra, I care not what you are. Now die!" Larvirus proclaimed. She lunged at the shadow only to have it float away.
"I'm afraid I won't be leaving until you and I come to an arrangement, Larvirus." Sombra said.
"How do you know my name, whelp?"
"I told you. I am fear incarnate. I am attached to the mind of every creature. I can know anything about anyone just by looking at their psyche." The shadow explained. "Anyway, Let's get to why I came here in the first place."
Larvirus was furious. This pony was to high and mighty for his own good. "I will not negotiate with a pony!"
"I understand your people value power. How about a demonstration of mine? Perhaps then you would be more open to conversation."
At that moment, General Cicadan, along with two other changelings walked into the chamber.
The stinger stepped forward, seemingly unaware of the cloud of shadow gathering behind him, "Your majesty. We heard shouting. Is something wrong?"
"Perfect..." Sombra said.
Cicadan froze. His eyes turned green and gave off the same aura as Sombra's. he began to whimper.
"Feel that lump in your throat?" The shadow asked. "First the body begins to sweat. Then the legs tremble. The pupils begin to dilate. Just one more push and-"
Cicadan was screaming violently at this point. Practically frothing at the mouth. "AHHHH. MAKE IT STOP! NO! NO! NO!"
"-The mind shatters..."
The stinger looked towards the two changelings he entered the room with. In a raving motion he split one of their heads open with his horn, then blasted the other one apart with a magic beam before falling to the ground, twitching and lifeless.
"That is the power of fear. Are you willing to negotiate now, Larvirus?"
The queen stared in awe and terror. She could not form words, so she merely nodded "Yes".
"Excellent. I am here because I need soldiers." The shadowy pony explained. "The ponies have grown complacent in the three years that Discord has been gone, so I can not look to them...At least, not yet."
Larvirus finally managed to squeak out some words. "So you need us for your army."
"Very good. You see, I know of the affliction that prevents your hive from growing, and I can give you a work around."
The fear Larvirus had felt was replaced by intrigue. If this Sombra really could cure her hive, than she couldn't afford not to listen.
"I'm afraid, currently, you won't be able to reproduce the conventional way, but you will be able to add any changeling, or pony to your ranks with a simple bite or scratch. They will follow your orders to the letter and become twice as powerful."
Larvirus asked "What's the catch?"
The shadowy pony looked at the queen. "I require four things. Firstly, your undivided loyalty. Secondly, at least nine specimens to convert, not counting yourself. Thirdly, that you guard something for me. Finally...I require that scythe you keep hidden."
Larvirus was torn. The first three items she could most definitely provide if this pony lives up to his end. Sombra had already proven powerful and Larvisrus could spare nine soldiers... But Soraniah? The scythe was said to have fallen off of the leg of Thanayak, the god of death and brother to Queen Papillion and king Vermivorous, the two original changelings and gods of the afterlife. Was it worth it to give up such a priceless artifact?
"I can't give up the scythe."
"You didn't let me finish dear Larvirus. Alongside saving your hive, I will help you destroy your enemies in the desert after my plans have been realized. And I'm not telling you to give me the scythe, I merely want it ready in case I need a contingency plan."
Larvirus considered this. This pony was capable of crushing the entire hive if he had a mind to just by driving them mad with fear. If Sombra was going to stab them in the back he wouldn't have made his power so obvious.
"...I accept..."
The shadow smiled. "I knew you would see reason. Now first things first, I'd like to see this scythe of yours."
Larvirus walked to the still open compartment that held Soraniah. The queen lifted the scythe with her telekinetic abilities and floated it towards Sombra's projection.
Sombra looked at the scythe with lust in his red eyes. As he stared at it, the silver blade grew black like an onyx and the wooden handle became a purple obsidian rod.
Looking content, Sombra spoke once more. "This will work. Now next on the agenda, let's work on saving your hive. Step forward."
The queen placed the scythe back in it's place and approached the shadow. The form of the pony was lost and all that surrounded Queen Larvirus was a thick, black mist. The mist wrapped itself around Larvirus then dissipated before reappearing a few feet away.
Suddenly, Larvirus collapsed to some sensation. It was not one of pain or agony but one of... pleasure and ecstasy. The sensation grew in the queen leaving her unable to return to her feet. The changelings body throbbing as a transformation took place.
When the sensation ended, Larvirus struggled to get back up to her feet. She stumbled to a nearby mirror and looked at her reflection. Her once black carapace now white as the snow that littered the ground outside the cave the hive made dwelling in. Three curved spikes jutted from the lowest joint on each leg. Her already sharp fangs were now even sharper and longer, with serrated edges. 
Larvirus stared at this refection... and began to laugh maniacally. "I feel as if I have been reborn".
Behind her, a crystal materialized from the cloud of shadow. Larvirus approached it. Inside the bluish crystal, one could make out the silhouette of a pony.
Sombra spoke once more. "This is what you shall be guarding for me. Protect it with you life and none shall stand against this new breed of changeling."
The mutated queen turned to the cloud of shadow. "Please...Master... Call us... Rakghouls."
"Rakghouls? Really?" the shadow pony asked. "I think vampony rolls off the tongue much better."
Larvirus asked "You may call the ponies we infect that, but we... we shall be known as rakghouls."
Sombra sighed. "What ever polishes you gem I suppose. Now, If you'll excuse me, I shall take my choice of the nine soldiers you promised me. Enjoy you new found power."
Larvirus grinned a large toothy grin. "Yes... Master Sombra..."