The Hive serves the Swarm. The Swarm serves the Queen. The Queen serves the Hive. *** Chrysalis is dead. Deposed. So is the way of the Changelings. But now the Swarm comes to a point of contention: none of their kind removed her.
The new Queen must be... selected.
They ask the Hive for a choice. But the Hive chooses not. No, the Hive has something else in mind, someone else who should choose. And so do two cultures, utterly alien to each other, find themselves in a dangerous dance...
She hurtled through the air, raging in fury and spite. Canterlot should have been hers! Her people! Canterlot should have been--
Cold.
Alone.
Shunned.
Her eyes went wide in that second.
The great power, the one that had been with her all her life, the one that had raised her to the throne, was now gone from her mind.
Rage melted into sorrow, and she sobbed as she plummeted. She accepted, at that moment, that she was dead.
The crunch of her body against the ground was merely a formality.
***
Gather in the shadows. Do not go near the towns. Do not feed.
We are doomed, all of us! We must flee!
Where to? The ponies are well connected. Their trade routes span the globe.
We can no longer hide in the shadows. My Queen, what is your command?
My Queen?
Where is the Queen? Feel her out!
She fell to madness, I knew it, I knew it, we're doomed, we're doomed, we're doomed--
Still yourself. Even if she is gone, we are the leaders now. We must remain united for the Swarm.
She did NOT fall. Chrysalis is a grand Queen! She led us to the cusp of victory!
She led us into great folly. Revealing ourselves was a mistake.
See?! We're doomed!
Be still. While there is breath, the Swarm survives.
My Queen, where are you?!
Sycophantic, aren't you.
Be silent! The Queen is the most important--
She has been found. She is dead.
...you lie.
We're doomed! We should all just drown ourselves now!
BE STILL. Confirm the finding.
....confirmed. She died shunned by the Hive.
Impossible...
...at the least, we found her. We can give her the proper rites. Let us gather.
She doesn't deserve the rites.
HOW DARE--!
Whether or not she deserves the rites, she was our Queen. As the leaders, we must present a united face. We shall gather and perform them without any quarrel between us... and then we shall determine the future of our people.
There is no future. The ponies are going to burn us all up! Spark goes the flint, Fwoosh go the drones, ponies dancing around and singing like they always do--
Please, be still. The Hive has not abandoned us. We are still worthy of life.
Indeed. Though it would be wise to avoid settlements for the time being.
What of the Corrupt?
What of them?
Perhaps... perhaps we can ask them to keep an ear to the ponies' suspicions, tell us when it is safe to feed again.
Hmmm. They left the Swarm for whatever reason, and I doubt our recent invasion will endear us to them. Or their pets, if they have them.
Still... we need all the help we can get.
And they deserve some sort of warning.
They are still of our blood, after all.
It's too risky to contact them.
But not for them to contact us. They know how, if they decide. Listen for those who touch the Hive.
...by the silk...
What?
I... I've just arrived at Chrysalis's falling point. It's worse in person.
We're coming, don't worry.
The smell...
Be still. The Hive watches you.
....sorry. I... I'm over it.
I too have arrived.
Always so stoic!
Don't patronize him, it's not his fault--
HE WAS OUR TACTICIAN! IT IS ENTIRELY HIS FAULT!
Agreed. I am to blame. However, I am grateful for your protection.
When I see you face to face--
Be still. You are right to weep, but to take it out on him will achieve nothing.
I... I have arrived... by silk, if they can do this to a Queen we're doomed!
Be still. Let us perform the rites before we decide that.
I have arrived.
And I.
I'm here, not that any of you care.
Where are you two?
We're coming...
Oh! There you guys are! Okay, I have arri--whoa. Ouch. Poor Chrysalis...
Ironic! The one most loyal to her isn't even here yet!
BE SILENT!
Do not provoke him.
You are offending me. You know how difficult that is.
...sorry.
...I have arrived.
We eight are gathered. Shall we begin the rites?
I, Vespidae, agree.
I, Gryilldae, agree.
I, Morpho, agree.
I, Spinnerette, agree.
I, Scolopendra, agree.
I, Lycaenidae, agree.
I, Necrosis, agree.
I, Tardigrade, agree.
Then let us begin the dance....
We of the Swarm remember you, mother and leader to us. We of the Swarm will ensure the Hive never forgets you. We of the Swarm will always recall your nature:
Strong and passionate.
Cunning.
Adaptable.
Crafter of the greatest of plans!
...motivating.
Protector.
Brash.
Enduring.
We fly above your body, but your soul is lost to us. May you find the Hive and become part of the greatest of unity. May you find the peace that life has taken from you. See our wings, how they shimmer in the sun; let the last sight of your soul be our beauty.
Tradition dictates that the Hive will select the next Queen. Perchance we only have to wait.
Um...
Hush.
This is not getting us anywhere!
...agreed. We shall ask the Hive directly then. Great heart of our people, who is to be the next Queen?
...I feel something!
As do I...
Do we all feel it?
Yes.... that is strange.
...what.
WHAT?!
WE'RE DOOMED!
BE STILL!
That is... certainly interesting...
The Hive can't be serious--
Hey! Where are you going?!
We have our orders. I intend to carry them out.
That's insane! You're insane!
I am not.
So you intend to walk right up to some ponies and say--
I do not.
...but you said--
The ponies in question are a very specific set of individuals. Contacting them in secret will be no challenge. Ensuring that they do not bring the forces of their military down on us will be slightly more difficult. Nevertheless, we have time yet.
The sun rose on the small hamlet of Ponyville, waking the inhabitants from their slumber. Some clung to their partners, still quivering in terror at the memories of the wedding. Many were nervous as they peered out their doors, stepping onto the road with trepidation. But, all in all, Ponyville endured; what had happened in the capital was far away and, by some standards, not the worst that the citizens had survived.
Twilight Sparkle blearily shook her head, cricking her neck and rolling her shoulders. The fog in her mind slowly began to fade, giving way to what she liked to think of as a checklist but could more accurately be described as a series of actions and requirements floating randomly through her thoughts. She didn't have to do them in any particular order, and occasionally she'd skip a few, but she liked to maximize her efficiency even when waking up. As the unicorn walked over to her wardrobe, she idly made the bed behind her with her magic.
"Two daaaaaayz." She giggled. "Today is two days. Hee hee. And it's a Tuesday! Tuesday two day today!"
Her comb floated through her mane as she flicked her ears back and forth. Two days ago had been both the worst... and the best day of her life. Two day ago she'd been almost torn from her friends... and then saw her brother get married. Her dreams couldn't decide whether to be fantasies or nightmares.
Maybe she should look into therapy.
Once the pony in the mirror looked presentable, Twilight giggled and meandered down the stairs, still drifting through the half-awake thoughts of checklists and plans. Some part of her managed to nod gratefully to Spike as he handed her a mug of coffee, utterly deadpan. The warm liquid quickly drained down her throat, clearing the fog from her head as she blinked once or twice.
"You awake yet?"
The unicorn shot her assistant a look. "Very funny. Yes, I'm awake."
"Good. Breakfast is on the table." The dragon blushed as Twilight nuzzled him briefly. "Hey come on, I do this every day!"
"And I appreciate it every day." The librarian giggled as she walked into the kitchen. "It really helps start my mind up... wow, what did you make? It smells delicious!"
"Just pancakes," Spike replied humbly. "You want me to go get the mail?"
"That would be very helpful, yes."
Twilight sat down at the table, working away at the meal; as always, she tore through it in an efficient manner. In fact, by the time Spike had returned, Twilight was already dabbing her lips and washing her dishes. The dragon rolled his eyes, mentally comparing the unicorn to a certain pink friend of theirs; while she would never admit it, Twilight could seriously compete with Pinkie in an eating contest. He tossed the newspaper onto the table casually, going through the letters in his hand and organizing them.
"Bill, bill, bill, government notice, library stuff, library stuff, another 'thanks for saving the world' letter, government notice, bill, three more 'thank you' letters, an invite to a Pinkie party... huh, this one's unmarked." The dragon set that envelop aside. "...bill, bill, library stuff, aaaaand... that's it."
"File the bills and the notices and put the library stuff on my desk." Twilight's horn glowed, levitating the other envelopes to her. "I'll take the letters for now."
Spike shrugged, heading to the office with the paperwork in claw. The unicorn smiled as she opened the letters one by one. The first was a fairly generic thank you, which she holepunched and put into the fifth folder that she'd purchased after the Ursa Major incident. The second had a heart-wrenching account of Discord's Day, one that almost brought Twilight to tears; this, she set aside to be framed and hung in what she called "The Gratitude Room," formerly a filing room which was now home to the most genuine of praise she received. The third was... well, she was obligated to read the thing all the way through, but burned it thereafter and threw the ashes into the trash. And the fourth was less a thank you and more an attempted licensing deal; that got burned as well.
"When did I become a celebrity?"
Rolling her eyes, Twilight Sparkle opened the party invitation. In four days, apparently, Pinkie was hosting a surprise party for Applejack of all ponies, apparently because it was her birthday. The unicorn giggled, quickly writing a reply and teleporting it to the mailbox for the afternoon route to pick up.
And the final envelope was unmarked. She checked it carefully for dangerous spells before opening it, raising an eyebrow as a small stone slid onto the table. Her curiosity only increased once she unfolded the letter.
We need your help, lest we all perish. This stone will lead you to a glen; gather your friends and meet us there.
A Scholar
Twilight raised an eyebrow, examining the stone carefully. An enchantment had been tied to it, a simple pinpointing component that could be attached to any other spell in her codex; clearly, the caster had some trust that she wouldn't simply teleport there.
But the way it was worded....
"...Spike, I'm going out. Could you watch the library for me?"
"Sure thing Twilight!"
Gathering up the letter and the stone, Twilight headed into Ponyville.
***
"Wait, you got a letter too?"
Pinkie bounced up and down. "Yepper deppers! It said that someponies needed my help otherwise they'd spoil and they wanted us to follow a rock to a glen! I checked the rock and it was definitely enchanted, trust me, when you work on a rock farm you can SEE these things."
Twilight shook her head, comparing the two notes. While the message was identical, Pinkie's letter had been signed A Mourner. Why would the mysterious letter sender change their identity? She compared the two stones, finding the exact same enchantment on each one of them. "I... guess that means you're coming with me."
***
"...Desperate? Your letter is signed Desperate?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't get how this rock is supposed to lead me to these ponies. That's why I was coming to see you, egghead."
"It's probably got a component enchantment..." Twilight examined the stone. "Yep. Just like mine and Pinkie's. Here, read my letter."
The pegasus raised an eyebrow, but flicked her eyes over the proffered paper. "...hey wait a minute. This is exactly like--"
"Pinkie got one too. Hers was signed A Mourner." Twilight glanced over to where the party pony was chatting brightly with a blue mare. "As soon as she breaks away from that, we're headed to Rarity's. Then we'll swing by Sweet Apple Acres and pick up AJ on the way to Fluttershy's."
"Actually, how bout I grab AJ and Shy and bring them over to the Boutique?" Dash peered at Pinkie, who was now wearing a flowerpot. "Something tells me you're going to be here a while."
***
"Bye AJ! Ah'm off ta help somepony!"
Applejack raised an eyebrow as her sister began packing her saddlebags. "Now hold on thar! Who is it that yer helpen'?"
"Ah don't know. Tha letter said they were a... pay tree arc?" Apple Bloom Waved a vague hoof. "But they said they'd perish if Ah didn't take mah friends somewhere."
Just as she was going to head out the door, an orange hoof blocked her path. "Listen, Bloom. Thar are... bad ponies in tha world, that want ta get ya alone and do bad thangs. Fact is, tha way that this patriarch contacted ya is ringing major alarm bells in mah head. Ah don't think ya should be doing what he says."
"But--!"
"Let me see that letter."
The filly sighed, producing the letter and, after a moment, a stone. "This came with it... It's supposed ta lead me to tha place. Ah don't exactly know how."
Applejack read the letter over, contemplating its contents. "...Ah think that Ah would be more comfortable if Ah knew where this was coming from."
Suddenly, there was a knocking on the door. "AJ! Hey, you in there?"
"Rainbow Dash?" The farmer opened the door and gave the weathermare a curious look. "What are ya--?"
"Oh good, you got your letter. Come on, we need to get Fluttershy and--"
"Wait, mah letter? Did ya send this?"
In answer, the pegasus pulled out her own letter. "Somepony wants us to help them out. Twilight and Pinkie got letters too."
"Aw, so that wasn't for me?" Apple Bloom sat down, dejected. "Ah never get ta go on cool adventures..."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Thar's a very good reason fer that. Would ya kindly tell Big Mac I'll be back in tha afternoon?"
"Yeah, sure..."
***
"...signed, A Wounded one." Fluttershy shivered. "Oh no... that can't be good. Angel, what if the pony who wrote this is alone and scared and has nopony who cares about them? What if they're bleeding to death? What if--?!"
THWONK.
"...did you seriously just throw a carrot at me?"
The bunny nodded, crossing his forelegs and tapping his foot. He pointed at the mailbox, then at the letter on the table, tilting his head.
"I guess you're right. Whoever this pony is was able to deliver this letter, so... but, it said they would die if we didn't come help! Something awful must have happened! Oh, maybe they were hurt in the Changeling invasion... no, that doesn't make sense." The pegasus paced around her living room, trying to think of a good reason for the letter. "It could be... I guess it could be some sort of cruel prank, but... no. Nopony would fake that sort of message."
Suddenly there was a knock at her door. "Oh, um... coming!" The pegasus cautiously approached, opening the door slowly. "Oh! Rainbow! Applejack! Um, what are you--?"
"How'd they sign your letter?"
Fluttershy blinked. "...how did you--?"
In answer, the two ponies simultaneously revealed their own transcripts.
"...oh."
***
"Welcome to Carousel Boutique... Twilight! How good to see you!" Rarity gave her a tired smile, waving as she stitched away. "Please excuse my appearance, but I had to stay up all night working on this commission. Oh! But your timing is fortuitous, darling. I know a few minor transmutation spells, and they help so much when I'm swamped with commissions; do you think you could possibly tutor me in some more advanced forms of that branch of magic?"
The librarian blinked. "You... you were up all night?"
"Oh, yes darling. I know, terribly unhealthy of me, but I can accomplish such feats if I try."
"Ah. So... you haven't gotten your mail yet."
"Well, no." Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Why, did you send something to me?"
"Actually, somepony's been sending unmarked letters to all of us. I mean, Rainbow and Pinkie and me... Rainbow's gone to check on Fluttershy and Applejack, she'll be bringing them here shortly."
"Oh my... That sounds..." Rarity yawned. "I'm terribly sorry, dear. To be honest I'm exhausted and, well, I don't know if I'll be able to help out this mysterious letter sender."
"It's a good thing I got coffee while I was getting your mail!" Pinkie bounded down the stairs, a platter precariously balanced on her back. "Here you go, breakfast and letters!"
"...what were you doing upstairs?"
"What wouldn't I be doing upstairs?"
"I... what?"
Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Eat up, Rares, we're going on an adventure!"
Twilight let her stone drop, eying her surroundings with some trepidation. "This is it, girls. Here we are." In all honesty, the glen seemed rather... unremarkable. It was a simple blank patch. True, it was a simple blank patch in the Everfree Forest but... there were no ruins, no magical glows... just the grass and the surrounding trees.
Rarity yawned silently, looking around with tired eyes. "Whoever would want to meet us here? Going to all the trouble of mailing us those letters and rocks, only to lead us to this place... do you think this is some sort of trap?"
"Um... I don't think so," Fluttershy said quietly. "Well, um, there's no cage or net or anything.... and the place is really very pretty..."
"Well, yes, darling, I suppose.... I'm sorry, I'm just a tad grumpy from my lack of sleep. Yoohoo! Mysterious letter sender! We're here now, would you be a dear and reveal yourself?" The unicorn let her gaze wander through the trees, hoping to catch sight of somepony hiding behind a trunk.
Applejack's ears twitched. "Is it just me, or is tha forest being really quiet?"
Twilight blinked. It was true. Not a bird sang in the branches, not a rabbit rustled through the bushes. The only sound was their breathing and, somehow, Pinkie Pie's bouncing.
Rainbow Dash stared out into the shadows. "Oooookay. That is a little bit creepy."
"I don't like this...." Fluttershy shivered, her wings folding and unfolding nervously.
Twilight nodded, backing up slowly. "Alright, this isn't funny! If you're here, come out and talk! Otherwise, we're leaving!"
"The Hive Serves The Swarm."
At the sudden voice, all six ponies jumped away from the trees.
"The Swarm Serves The Queen."
The second voice had come from the opposite direction, causing the six mares to glance around warily.
"The Queen Serves The Hive."
"What do you mean?" Twilight demanded. "Show yourself!"
"...As you command."
Eight changelings stepped out of the shadows, standing in a circle along the edge of the glen. The unicorn narrowed her eyes, quickly casting a shield around her and her friends, but the insectoid shapeshifters didn't take any further action. They simply stood, watching the ponies with various expressions. Twilight noticed one cowering in terror, one growling in rage, one sneering in disgust... but there was one grinning as she let her eyes rove over the ponies, one who smirked at their terrorized expressions, and one--the largest one--merely smiled reassuringly.
The other two disturbed her the most. One simply looked bored... the other didn't emote at all.
"Whadaya want?" Applejack demanded. "Tell us why ya called us here!"
The sneering changeling stepped forward. "Chrysalis is dead."
"Chrysalis?" Dash snorted. "Who's Chrysalis?"
"Our queen. The one who replaced your love goddess." A shrug came from the bored changeling. "Honestly, that was a stupid move."
"NECROSIS, I SWEAR IF YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH AGAIN I'LL--!"
"Be still, Spinnerette." The large changeling frowned at his shouting companion. "We do not wish to make a bad impression on these ponies, do we?"
The sneering changeling glowered at him. "We should cocoon them up and take them to the caverns..."
"The Hive has chosen differently." The one that had been eying a nervous Fluttershy flicked her wings. "I suggest you listen to Tardigrade."
"Darlings, it's a bit rude to talk about us like we're not here." Rarity stepped forward, pressing her hoof against the inside of Twilight's shield. "I am terribly sorry to hear your queen is deceased, of course, but I fail to understand why you wanted to meet us."
Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? They want to tear us to pieces! Keep that shield up, Twilight."
"Oh, tear you to pieces?" A chortle came from one of the changelings. "I like you. I really do. Peaceful ponies go straight for the throat! What do you think, Vespidae, your type of mare?"
"I think you're an obnoxious twit Scolopendra."
"Awww, I love you too."
"The antics of my comrades aside..." The large changeling--Tardigrade, Twilight recalled--turned back to the gathered ponies. "We have need of you alive, and fully aware. All six of you, in fact."
"All of us?" Fluttershy murmured. "Um... why?"
"The Hive serves the Swarm," intoned the emotionless one. "The Swarm serves the Queen. The Queen--"
"--Serves the Hive, you said that already!" Twilight snorted. "What does that mean? What does that have to do with us?"
"The Queen is dead, of course." The changeling that had been eying Rainbow smirked. "Normally, the Hive would choose a new Queen. But it has decided to do something unique in this case. I believe the pony phrase is... pass the bit?"
"Wait wait wait." Pinkie stood up. "Are you saying we get to choose the new changeling Queen?"
"Mmmmm. You're far more intelligent then you look."
Rarity shook her head and stared at the gathered changelings. "You're allowing us to...?"
"I do not believe you understand." The emotionless one stepped forward. "This is not something we decided. This is the choice of the Hive. Until you select a new Queen, you six are to reign over the Swarm."
Twilight's eyes narrowed to pinpricks. "WHAT?!"
"I, Gryilldae, submit to the new Queens." The emotionless one bowed.
"I, Tardigrade, submit to the new Queens." The largest of the Changelings fell to his knees.
"I don't think I'm comfortable with this," Fluttershy said, pressing into her friends.
"I, Morpho, submit to the new Queens." With a lascivious smirk, the one that had been eyeing them slipped into a kneeling pose.
Rainbow Dash stepped back. "Oooookay. So they're serious."
"I, Scolopendra, submit to the new Queens."
"Oh my..." Rarity looked at the bowing changelings. "Are... we entirely certain this is a bad thing?"
"Um... I... I, Lycaenidae, submit to the new Queens..." A changeling hesitantly fell to her knees, quivering at the attention she'd received for her action.
"Oh my gosh!" Pinkie bounced up and down happily. "I'm going to get to throw a coronation party! Ohmygosh there's going to be streamers and licorice cake cause changelings are kind like licorice and we can play charades amd pin the tail on the pony or maybe on the changeling except changelings don't really have tails they have those fine things, I guess I'll have to think about that a bit--"
"I, Necrosis, submit to the new Queens. And politely request the pink one be silent." The bored changeling sunk to his knees.
"Oh! Right, sorry."
"I, Vespidae, submit to the new Queens." The voice came out as a low growl as one changeling bowed, glowering at the ponies pointedly.
All eyes turned to the final changeling, who was still looking at the ponies in utter revulsion.
"I.... Spinnerette...."
He backed up a step, glancing over his shoulder as though he was about to run. There was a silent moment.
Then, finally, he let out an aggravated sigh and reluctantly bowed. "...submit to the new Queens. For now."
Silence filled the small glen. The changelings remained bowed as the ponies clustered tightly together, thrown completely by this development. Experimentally, Twilight released her shield; when none of the changelings jumped at them, she took a cautious step forward. And then another.
And then she poked one of them.
"I understand that this is a shocking development," Necrosis drawled, "but is it really necessary to examine my horn? It's not cracked or anything."
"Oh! Um, right. I just..." Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Could you all, um, stay riiiight here? I'll be right back." Without any other warning, she teleported away.
Lycaenidae whimpered. "I knew this was a bad idea."
***
"SPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE!"
With a sigh, the dragon strolled down the stairs. "Hey Twilight. Did you figure out who sent those--?"
"LETTER! NOW!"
"Geeze, fine." Spike produced a scroll and quill. "Ready when you are."
"Princess Celestia, the Changeling Queen is dead and the Changelings want me and my friends to be regents until we select the new one. I humbly request advice. Yours, Twilight Sparkle."
"...wait. Are you seriously--?"
"WRITE AND SEND SPIKE I AM PANICKING HERE."
"R-Right!" The dragon finished his letter with a flourish, sending it off to Canterlot in a flash of magical fire. "But seriously, Twilight, are you saying that the Changelings want you to--?"
"YES." The unicorn pressed her face against his. "DO YOU NOT SEE THE CRAZY EYES? I DO NOT JOKE WITH THE CRAZY EYES."
Her number one assistant nodded. "You... do seem to be freaking out. Do you want some tea?"
"THAT WOULD BE VERY NICE THANK YOU SPIKE."
Very slowly, the dragon slid out from under her gaze. He was only halfway across the room, however, when he burped up a reply scroll. Twilight lunged on it like a feral animal, unwrapping it quickly.
Canterlot, city of dreams. Or so most ponies believed.
It certainly wasn't that dreamlike now. So soon after the invasion of the Changelings, their capturing of a princess and subversion of a captain, and the near-conquest of the capital of their country, there was a tension in the air. Minor damage, from panicked ponies and enemy assailants, was still being repaired by workponies everywhere. Wary guards checked and doublechecked everyone at specific checkpoints. Entire streets had been cordoned off, both with official police tape and the less official shoving of fancy desks into impromptu barriers.
"Looks like we did a number on this place," Scolopendra quipped.
"Eeeeyup," Applejack drawled. "Which is why, if'n ya'll want ta maybe make a good impression, you'll keep yer trap shut."
"We've already made an impression," Necrosis pointed out. "Nothing we do now will endear us to Canterlot. Even a judgment from your princesses in our favor will only give us a period of time in which to make new impressions." They rolled their eyes as a mare moved her filly indoors.
Gryilldae tilted their head in acknowledgement. "Nevertheless, we are meeting with the ones who hold the deck. It would be wise to at least appear amicable."
Spinnerette glared at them for a moment. Gryilldae simply gave him a level look.
"...so, um." Fluttershy paused. "I... don't mean to be a bother, but, well... if we have to choose a queen for you, we have to understand what, um. What that means. What a queen does for you all."
Morpho smiled slyly. "That is so. The hive serves the swarm, the--"
"Swarm serves the queen, the queen serves the hive." Rainbow Dash growled. "You still haven't told us what that means!"
"It is our order," Tardigrade replied. "The hive is the great heart of our people, ever influenced by ourselves and ever seeking to better us. The queen, our leader without peer, directs our way. We the swarm our obedient to her, but in turn our suffering and glory is focused upon her--if she directs us in error, the hive strikes her in reply, and if she brings us to grandeur, she is exalted from within."
"...I'm sorry, I don't think I quite understand," Rarity mused. "When you say 'hive,' do you mean a metaphorical form of societal construct or, perhaps, a literal home, or...?"
Spinnerette scoffed. "Fractured and blind as ever. You ponies know not what you miss. The hive is our glorious union, the living self that underlies our race! And it has EVER selected the best of queens."
"From a small scale," Necrosis observed. "Chrysalis was one of three, was she not?"
"Aye," Tardigrade acknowledged. "I was one that was passed over in her favor. But what is best can change."
Spinnerette glowered at the large changeling, who in turn grew a stern expression. Morpho, Vespidae, and Lycaenidae rolled their eyes.
"Sooooooooooo..." Pinkie Pie cleared her throat. "I'm guessing Tardy there is the oldest one of you then?"
"He is... yes." Lycaenidae fluttered her wings nervously. "So, he knows what the hive was like before Chrysalis, so, um, if you want to find out about that you should ask him, and not me, because I don't know. At all."
"Oh, well, no. I was just thinking, you're all like... why are you eight the ones we're talking to?"
"We eight are the select for the new queens," Vespidae hissed. "That you reign is temporary, a whim of the hive. When you select one of us, then they shall ascend and take control of the swarm."
"I would prefer an answer sooner," Spinnerette growled. "The less time I spend around you monstrous fragments, the better."
"See," Applejack mused, "things like that? That's why Ah said ya'll should keep yer yappers zipped."
"If you are so wishing our silence, then command it!" Spinnerette snapped.
"Fahn!" Applejack snorted. "Ah hereby order ya not ta say anything provocative!"
For a moment, the only sound was that of hooves and chitin clopping down the road of Canterlot.
"So..." Rainbow cleared her throat. "You're all in line to be the new queen."
"Yes," Necrosis stated blandly.
"And... you called Tardy there a dude."
"We are all technically hermephrodites," Gryilldae stated. "Our gender is granted by our relation to the hive and ourselves."
Rainbow frowned. "Hey, Twi, I know you're being super paranoid up there, but--"
"They have both boy parts and girl parts, so they decide whether they want to be boy or girl."
"Or neuter," Gryilldae added. "Necrosis and myself view the distinction as irrelevant to our personalities."
"That's actually fascinating," Fluttershy said, perking her ears up. "So, is this a choice that happens and remains entirely hardcoded, or can you change over time?"
Scolopendra chuckled wryly. "We really only adapt the distinction in relation to others we interact with. You're a pony, so to you, I'm male-identifying. If I were talking to a griffon, I would go for a female identification." He flicked a wing toward the cowering changeling next to him. "Then again, Lycaenidae there is female for most races. Make of that what you will."
"Were she hatched but two centuries ago, she would be as ambiguous as Gryilldae," Morpho mused. "What the role for each is shifts with time--save of course for the obviously fundamental, and even that..."
"Um." Lycaendae glanced around nervously. "I, um... don't feel comfortable talking about this."
"Our regents are simply trying to understand us," Tardigrade assured her gently. "Both as a people and as individuals."
"That, and... you know, talk while we head to the palace," Pinkie admitted casually. "It's not like we can do anything else, since we are sort of escorting nationals of a recently defeated state through the scarred results of their invasion which just so happens to be our capital city and therefore have to not only keep an eye on them but on all the ponies around us in order to prevent there being a big brawl that could just make everything worse and more confusing."
There was another moment of silence.
"...I like her," Scolopendra declared.
Twilight took a breath. "Well, we won't have much longer to talk." She looked up at the gates to the palace. "We're here."
