A New Day

"I love it."

  Wormwood smiled again. He wanted to make me happy and he succeeded.

"Where did you-"

"I asked Mantis to make copies if the drawings you had. You said that you had a dream hive as a hatchling, my Queen."

  Mantis turned away. I caught a slight green hue from his face. My other broodlings walked to the entrance way. The cave must be massive if it's by my drawings.

  "Right this way everyling."

Through Wormwood's Eyes

  I led them down the tunnel, hoof made by me. I couldn't help myself. I played tour guide to them.

"Here we enter the hive making our way to the grand hall. As you can see it's lit by magic crystals fueled by changeling magic only.  Allowing only us to see this place.

  We are almost at the grand hall. Brace yourselves, this room is beautiful."

  The grand hall was as big as our house. Crystals formed a chandelier above us and slime floors softened our hooves. There was a large table in the center for whatever.

  Furniture made of rock and moss were along the walls. The walls themselves had banners hanging with the hives colors. Green and black.

"My Queen, if you may, the crystals need more light."

  Emerald nodded and lit her horn. She shot a luminous orb to the chandelier and it became brighter, lighting the ceiling in its' glow.

"By the Helix."

  The ceiling was painted with our story. How the queen found us and helped us. How she gave us hope. How she kept us safe. Our savior.

"A mural for you, my queen."

"Thank you again."

  I motioned to the tall doors at the other end. With one wave of my horn, they opened revealing our home. I heard them gasp at its glory.

"Its a spiral, down at least three stories. Enough room for flying. There are forty rooms, thirty-five of them are for sleeping. The five left over you can decide.

  There is also a training area at the bottom of the spiral. Complete with targets, dummies, mirrors, and anything else we need.

  Our plink pool is at the bottom as well, just off to the side through two, round doors. We have a great hatchery on the second floor, but it's missing the eggs.

  Don't worry my queen, I don't expect you to fill that area yet. Now that you've seen it, how do you like it?"

  My Queen came up to the edge and looked down at the spiral. Locust and Tulip stood at her sides, both keeping their wings open.

"Wormwood, you are amazing. You built this in a day and there is nothing you haven't missed. You got every detail, from the carvings on the pillars to the grand statues guarding.

  You have a wondrous kitchen on the second floor, I can sense it. There's the dining hall just a few doors down. And.......and......"

  "Your bedroom, my queen, is this way."

Through Emerald's Eyes

  Wormwood led us around the great spiral to the first story. It had many doors to it, but their was a large double door that I can only assume is my room.

  He opened the door for me as I approached it, the door had curving vines representing royalty. The room itself was gorgeous. I never expected less from my best hive worker.

  The bed was nice and round, the blankets made from silk. Though not our silk, silk from ponies. There was another chandelier of crystals, but this time they were multicolored instead of plain white or green.

  I fed my magic into them and they began glowing brighter. The room became a world of color. The light bounce off the mirror sending a beam through a window above the door.

  The beam went through the window and then a bright light came from the spiral. I trotted outside where my broodlings were staring upwards.

"Wormwood, what is that?"

"That, Tulip, is the Queen's throne room. Made of left over crystal and moss, it is truly the greatest room here. You can look at it later, my queen.

  I know for a fact we are all tired from a long day of partying and working. My queen we can sleep here or in the pony house tonight. As always, it's your choice."

  My mind looked around this world of light and wonder, then I thought. If we stayed down here tonight then somepony might think we're missing or try to open the box door.

"Tonight we sleep upstairs. We do not want a pony finding an empty house."

  Wormwood sealed the box doors behind us, Sunbeam turned to with a smile.

"My Queen, if you may?"

  He undid his disguise and bowed. His shell was still a dull grey. I took my horn and wrapped it around his shell, changing its color from the grey to a vibrant green.

"Welcome to my hive, Sunbeam and...?"

"Scootaloo, my queen."

  The filly bowed to me as well, though I sensed it was more out of fear than of love.

"Scootaloo, you do not need to be afraid. Unlike the queens circle, I do bot harm a pony. I find your kind amazing, how you create tall buildings and have so many colors."

  I shook in my shell. I had to add that affect getting a laugh from the little pony. She smiled at me and I smiled back.

"So are you, like, my mom now?"

  My heart almost stopped. My broodlings turned and stared at her. A pony asked if I was her mother. Nymph was angry at the little filly.

  She looked up at me with her big, purple eyes gleaming like the crystals. My mind began sending a silent message. I turned to my broodlings to see if they received it.

  They were leaving the basement, so they got it. Sunbeam was the last one to leave, giving a scared look in my direction. Then he shut the door.

"Why did my dad leave? Why did they leave?"

"Because I wanted to speak to you in private without them hearing on the other side of the door."

  We heard the sound of hooves scamper away from the basement door. Scootaloo turned to me, she was afraid.

  "Scootaloo, do you know what a changeling queen would do if a pony goes up to her and asks her if she would take them in?"

"No..."

"She would order her guards to take the pony to her dungeons."

  She started shaking in her horse shoes.

"But, I am not that queen. I am Queen Emerald of green. My dear you don't have to be afraid of me, I'm not going hurt you. Far from it in fact!

  My heart would break if a pony was harmed under my hoof. Dear Scootaloo, I will be happy to be your mother. Though don't go telling anypony that your family is a hive of changelings."

She stopped shaking and jumped onto me.

"Oh thank you. I always wanted a mom! Well I had one before, but you get it!"

"Of course, my dear daughter of the hive. Welcome home."

  I summoned my magic and created a small crystal shell and laid it on the little filly, slipping her wings through the holes. I then changed the colored from clear to a vibrant green. She buzzed her wings in excitement.

"I love you, mom."