Changelings were considered savages. Creatures of deception and evil. I agree with the stereotype. Sure, it's was insulting my own species, but who cares? I'd never admit it though, then Mother would have a reason to kill me. She wants to kill me, she really wants to kill me, but she can't until I've had done something she could kill me for. Cursing my own race? Close enough to blasphemy for a cut through my neck.
Prince Larva is my full title, though the only ones who ever use the term 'prince' are the ponies. As a changeling, I am simply the son of the queen. The heir to the throne, but no one important enough for a specific title. I'm not the only heir, of course. Who ever heard of only having one heir? No, I have sisters. Oh great merciful Vavatonem, do I have sisters. Buzzing, chirping, flittering around and making a great ruckus about the Royal Hive. I hate them almost as much as Mother loves them, and she loves them almost as much as she hates me. I don't mind them for the most part actually, except for the part where they decide to become interested in me for a day and not give me a moment's peace. Yeah...that gets really annoying really fast.
I'm sour tempered, I won't deny that. What I would deny is having the temper of a normal changeling. Granted, they're sour. Angry, hissing, burning sour. But what the others aren't is traitorous. Some of them might not like the Queen, some of them may want to kill her after the failed Canterlot siege, but they never would. The others are too brainwashed by the hive mind to even consider turning their back on the Queen. As a royal changeling, and free of the hive mind, I am not. I hate her, as I've said many times before, and would kill her if I could. I can't of course, due to the fact that she possesses double my strength and speed on both the ground and in the air. No, I can't kill her. Plus, if I did then that would break the hive mind. She has to pass power onto me, which she wouldn't do in a million years. She'll most likely pass on power to one of my biting, scratching, mammal-brained sisters.
If you haven't gotten it yet, my life sucks.
"And as our species evolved from grubs on the ground, we gained superiority to the nearby pony race through our possession of both horns and wings..." The droning voice of my tutor made thinking about assassination incredibly hard, and that's the only thing that kept me sane these days.
"But some of the drones don't have wings!" one of my sisters squeaked, raising a swiss cheese hoof in the air.
"That is true. They are the building drones. They build the hives and..." My eye twitched and I put my hooves over my ears, unable to handle the blathering anymore. I knew everything that was being taught by now, but Mother made me take the same course over and over again until all of my sister's understood, which would never happen. In fact, I could remember the exact same wings question being asked just last week.
With the tutor's voice reduced to a hum by my hooves, I allowed myself to sink into his thoughts. How good it would feel cracking Mother's exoskeleton under my hooves, tearing the three spikes off her head to resemble de-crowning her, tearing her wings off slowly and painfully. My neon green tongue flicked out to lick my lips as I thought and my hooves slowly fell from his ears. I was too deep in thought to care.
Larva...
Using my fangs to cut through her neck, the delicious snapping of the black shell...
Larva...
Conquering Equestria with my army. Not failing like Mother had...
Larva...!
It would be amazing...
LARVA!
My eyes snapped open and I looked around wildly. A guard glared at me, a deep growl echoing from his throat. I quickly stood as I noticed that I was alone in the room besides the guard.
"Y-yes?" I stammered, nervous under the guard's gaze.
"The Queen has called for you and your sisters to stand in her presence in the Royal Court," the guard hissed, his voice deeper than most changelings'.
"A-alright." I tried to push past the guard, but since I only reached the guard's chest I couldn't. The guard gave a cold chuckle which sent shivers up my spine and moved out of the way, allowing me to pass. I hurried on, my wings buzzing with embarrassment. I'm small, another downfall of my life. Almost every changeling is bigger than I, leaving me barely taller than a filly in pony standards. The changelings couldn't have a king that short. I mean, it's not like I care what they think now. Once the hive mind is linked to me they won't have a damn choice.
The Royal Court isn't far from where I had been, so it only took a few minutes for me to reach it. It's pretty regal I suppose, though nothing in comparison to the ponies' Royal Court I had heard soldiers talking about after the siege. The walls of the court are black, like every other wall in the Royal Hive, with green ovals sticking out like gems here and there. It's always filled with the buzzing of wings and clack of hooves against ground as Mother's personal drones hurry about. Today it was filled with my sisters' hissing as they gathered in the center of the room. Mother looked pleased as she gazed at them, but her expression changed to a scowl as I entered the room. Pretty easy to tell who she favored.
"Finally," Mother hissed, as I made my way to join my sisters. "You must work on being more punctual."
"Yes Mother," I said. I've had years of practice with hiding my hatred, so it was easy to make it sound as if I adored Mother. I don't, as I'm sure you know by now.
"Now that you are all here," Mother began, moving her head so she couldn't see me at the edge of the group. "It is time to address the approaching tests." We all knew what she was talking about, the tests to see who would become ruler. She expected me to lose, and was probably rigging the tests to make sure I did. "We will be changing them slightly, to make them more fair." Oh, what was this? The tests were an ancient practice, going back as far as any changeling could remember, changing them was something new. "You will all take them based on your age, oldest first." Her eyes flashed to me and I stared into them. So, I was right. This would make it easier for her to rig them, since it used to be that we would take them all at once.
Mother proceeded to speak more about the test, as if we hadn't heard it too many times from our tutor. Different sections, some having to do with form changing, some having to do with speed and strength, all of them necessary for a ruler. My sisters wouldn't survive the first. Well, unless my mother had anything to say about it (which she probably would).
The Course and The Spikes
I'm not sure what caused me to feel like putting me and my only drone in danger. Perhaps I'm just stupid, I know sometimes it seems that way. What? You didn't think I was completely alone, did you? I'm royal, I get at least one changeling under my control. Her name is Shell, and she's the only one my Mother released from the hive mind to serve me. Don't think it's generous, my sisters have at least ten drones.
Shell's okay, I guess. Her exoskeleton is lighter in color than most changelings', being a strange gray instead of shiny black. Typical of my mother, giving me a mutant female as a servant. Oh well, at least Shell doesn't hate me. There's just one thing that makes it hard for me to feel superior to the mutant, she's freaking taller than I am. I reach her chest. Dammit. Sometimes I think Shell just listens to me so she doesn't have to go back to being a number. 6244, that was what she was called before Mother plucked her out of the ranks and gave her to me. She's grateful, but since she's under my control her thoughts have been influenced by my own. I'm happy to report that she hates Mother as much as I. Well, sort of.
But back on topic. We were in danger, because I'm too stupid to know when I've stuck my snout in too far. I suppose I was just curious, practically dying to see what Mother was planning for the tests. That's why I suggested that we go and check it out, see if it would give me anymore of a chance. She didn't protest, why would she?
"Fine, but if we get in trouble then you're going to be stealing your own love for a week. And don't even think about using that hive mind shit on me." That was all she said, and then we were off. The testing grounds aren't far from the Hives, being just a cleared space with a few black spikes here and there. Well, that was what it used to be. When Shell and I got there we saw that Mother had completely redesigned it. It looked much more dangerous now, with too many spikes to count and beefy drones everywhere.
There were too many obstacles, and things precariously balanced which could crush through any changeling's shell should it fall on them. It looked more like a soldier's boot camp.
Shell and I were instantly nervous, but of course I led us onward. We did well for the most part, easily avoiding guards and managing not to get ourselves caught.
"You have to take the test first, don't you?" Shell's comment made me shiver as we explored, reminding me that this death trap might be my end.
"Yeah," I replied, "That's why we're out here. To make sure I have a plan before I die."
"You know this might be counted as cheating," she said, her voice portraying a grin through the darkness. "You get caught, we both die."
"We won't get caught," I growled, aiming my wing for her chin and smiling as it connected.
"Sure we won't, idiot," she giggled. We eventually made our way through the entire course and quickly turned to go back. By then we were extremely shaken up by the impossible looking thing, and were attempting to break the tension with snide remarks and dares, none of which we would follow through with.
It began to grow light-hearted as we neared the beginning, and we may have gotten a bit loud. No, that's not when things started to get bad, but it was when we found the thing that made it all go wrong. The dares became silly, like go and kick one of the patrolling drones in the nose. One of the dares was to fly to the top of a spike and back down before the other could count to ten. Seemed easy enough, so for the first time that night I accepted. She seemed mildly surprised, then gave me a mischievous grin.
"You sure?" she teased, wings beating as she eyed me. I nodded, my own grin sneaking onto my face. "Fine then," she sighed, shrugging and sitting back on her haunches. "Ready..." she raised a hoof and I readied my wings. "GO!" Her hoof smashed into the ground and I shot into the air. Reaching the top was no problem, and I barely noticed the time passing. I froze once up there though, and wouldn't come back down, despite Shell's annoyed calls. I saw something, and it made me shiver. I wasn't sure why, it just unnerved me.
Eventually, Shell flew up to join me. Her annoyed hisses were cut off when she noticed I was staring at something. She followed my gaze and stared for a moment.
"What... is that?" she murmured, breaking the silence. I shook my head, coming out of my trance.
"Not sure," I said. I'm not sure how to describe what we saw, but it terrified us both. It was some sort of mass of spikes, each one a different shade of black and all covered in bubbles of green and blue. Guards practically covered the area, making it even more ominous to look at. It has some sort of aura, radiating from the heart of the structure and causing each bubble to glow a sickly color.
"Come on Larva," Shell urged after a while. "We need to get out of here." I didn't respond, simply tilting my head a bit and taking a step towards the thing. "Oh come on," she growled, "You're not honestly thinking of going over there, are you?" I gave her a look. "Oh Vavatonem," she groaned, knocking her forehead with a holed hoof. She sucked her teeth for a moment, looking from me to the structure and back again. She took a deep breath, then sighed it out and buzzed her wings. "Fine, let's go." I quickly leapt into the air and she followed, cursing me under her breath. "I hate you, you know that?" she mumbled as we neared the structure. I simply nodded and descended. We landed in front of the structure, several of it's bubbled spikes jabbing out towards us. I walked near it and tapped one of the bubbles. Nothing happened and I looked at Shell. She shrugged.
"What do you think it is?" I asked, turning back to the thing.
"Don't know. Maybe it's just for decoration? Like the statues the ponies make?"
"That's stupid," I hissed, rolling my eyes. "Mother is dumb, but not that dumb."
"Well what else would it be?" Shell growled, coming up next to me and tapping a bubble as well. She narrowed an eye and tapped it again. She waited a few moments, then reared back and smashed both hooves down on the green bubble she had selected.
"Don't break it!" I exclaimed, shoving her away. "We aren't supposed to be noticed, remember?"
"But, it feels weird," she said, as if that was explanation enough.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. "No it doesn't, it sounds like you're hitting some drone's exoskeleton! Someone will hear if you..."
"No," she said, sounding determined and looking back to the bubble. "It makes a ringing sound in my head. Try it." I gaped at her, then sighed and hit the bubble. Nothing but a clack.
"There's no ringing."
"Harder," she ordered. "Like this." She turned and kicked at it with her back hooves.
"Vavatonem." I sighed, turning around and mimicking her kick. Nothing. "You're insane," I hissed, glaring at her.
"No, you're just deaf." She pouted then, turning her head from me. We both jumped when we heard hoof-steps drawing near. "Now we're going to get caught because of you," she hissed. I growled back and we both quickly took to the air. I remember thinking we'd get away, that the drone wouldn't notice the two of us buzzing away. He did, of course, which is why Shell and I are sitting in this dark room, awaiting punishment.
As a Royal Changeling, I will admit my life had been rather soft. Being thrown in the dungeon, surrounded by hissing criminals who had escaped the hive mind and larvas who had broken out of their cocoon during metamorphosis and become disgusting combinations of pony and changeling, was a bit of a new experience. Shell immediately selected a spot for us and chased off the other prisoners. Her instincts to protect me were her only drive no doubt, though when she was done she offered me a smile, one which I didn't return.
Mother's Royal Guards had never treated me kindly before, but now they treated me like any other prisoner in that terrible place. The treatment entailed pushing, shoving, and hissing fiercely when I tried to speak to them. The dungeon life was only temporary, and we had been told it was only for a few days, but it felt like an eternity. Shell didn't speak beyond short answers when I asked something, and sometimes she didn't respond at all. I suppose it makes sense, since she had only stayed with me to prevent this from happening to her. Royal servants got better treatment after all. Though that didn't matter at this point.
"Think they'll let you choose your next servant?" Shell asked me one day. I gave her a confused look, not sure which words would be of best use in the situation. "Well, obviously they won't kill you," she said, as if that was explanation enough. When I still didn't respond she sighed and said, "They can't kill you. You're all royal and stuff. They can kill me, and they will. You'll need a servant, it's the law that you have at least one. Do you think they'll let you choose them?" I opened my mouth to say something, but shut it and looked away. "Well, if they do, make sure you don't choose a mutant. We don't fly as fast." I'm not sure if she meant for that to hurt, but it did.
"Well, the gray looks nice on you," I said, not looking at her.
Another day we talked about escape.
"We could disguise ourselves as guards," Shell suggested, though she didn't sound very enthusiastic about the idea. I knew why. She wasn't as good at illusions, mostly due to her being a mutant but also simply because she hadn't had much practice.
"No, that won't work," I mumbled, staring up at the ridged ceiling. "One, you can't transform as well. Two, they'll notice if two guards are suspiciously trapped in the dungeon and two prisoners are gone."
"We could...dig? We're changelings. We were practically built for digging."
"There are problems with that too," I growled, becoming slightly irritated with these suggestions she obviously hadn't thought through. "Don't you think they would have expected prisoners to try and dig out? The floor is made of the same stuff as the Royal Hive, not dirt like the tunnels. Also, I'm a Royal Changeling, we don't dig as well. Oh, and another thing, if we do escape, and that's a pretty big if, where will we go? They'll miss me since I'm an heir, they'll miss you since you're a Royal servant, and it's not like there's some changeling settlement out there. We aren't ponies, we have only one hive." Shell stared at me, an unimpressed expression on her face.
"Wow, negative much?"
"I'm thinking things through, which you're obviously not doing!"
"I'm just trying to stay positive, Larva. You're shooting me down. I know these plans won't work."
"Then stop suggesting them. It's annoying." I turned my head towards her, making sure she could see just how annoyed I was. She rolled her eyes (or as best as a servant can since they don't have pupils like a Royal).
"Fine. Whatever. But maybe you should try being nice to me, we won't be together for much longer." Once more, she might not have meant to hurt me, but she did.
I tried to convince myself during our imprisonment that after we were released everything would go back to normal. Obviously, when the day finally came that we were let out, everything did not return to the way it was.
Shell and I were led by two guards through winding tunnels, each one lined with the same black material as the dungeon. We didn't speak, and the guards didn't either, we just followed them out of fear. Eventually, we came to an exit. The dusty air of outside was more welcome to me than it ever had been, and the light and heat of the pony princess' sun was a relief on my shell. Underground dungeons tend to be dark and cold, the changeling one is no exception. The guards quickly rush us through the oddly abandoned streets, to an area that Shell and I recognized almost immediately. The structure of spikes we had been caught near, that's where they were leading us. Shell nudged my side and when I turned to look at her I saw she looked worried, but there was an odd glint in her eyes.
"What?" I whispered, careful to keep my voice quiet enough so the guards wouldn't hear. Shell extended her wings and buzzed them a bit then jerked her head up towards the sky. She was suggesting we fly away. The suggestion was tempting, as no one was around besides the two guards, but the more I thought about it the more risky it seemed. Finally I gave her a sharp look and shook my head. Shell narrowed her eyes and buzzed her wings once more. I shook my head again, more firmly. Shell hissed at me quietly then directed her gaze to the mass of spikes we were quickly approaching. In the glaring sunlight it looked even more imposing and we both shivered.
Finally, I spoke up. "Where are you taking us?" I asked. The guards didn't stop, but looked at each other and seemed to have a conversation with only their eyes. Eventually, one turned their head to me and spoke.
"The Queen has requested that we bring both of you to the new chamber she has built. The reason was not revealed, but even if it had been we would not tell it to you." I bared my teeth and stomped a hoof down. So much maltreatment for such a simple crime, it was ridiculous!
"Just because I was out late at night is no reason for you treat me like a mammal-brained drone. I am the heir to the changeling throne and will be treated as such! What is the purpose of this new chamber? And do not lie to me!" My burst of fury evaporated as the second guard snickered.
"Oh, the Royal grub demands an explanation," the amused changeling chuckled, "Come now, 7890, give our heir what he wishes." The other guard looked from his partner back to me then smirked.
"The new chamber is the testing grounds for a new method of execution," he hissed, his smirk becoming a full fledged grin when my eyes widened. Shell remained emotionless next to me but I felt her wing brush against me as a sign of comfort.
The building came ever closer but now I gazed at it with a new fear. One that entailed me walking out, but me walking out alone. Shell didn't speak, didn't move besides walking and the occasional wing rub.
We finally reached the structure, and once there the guards fell behind us. I looked around, but didn't see any sort of entrance. Narrowing an eye, I looked back at the guards. One moved forward and suddenly shoved us. I expected for us to smash into the black wall, and maybe impale ourselves on one of the closer spikes, but neither happened. We instead fell through the wall and I instantly realized it to be a simple illusion spell. Complicated for a pony, but foal-play for a changeling.
My balance was off and I fell completely forward, hitting my snout on the ground. I snarled, pushing myself up and whipping my head around to where the guards were. They hadn't followed us. The illusion had rematerialized, leaving us inside with no visible exit (though I knew it was there). It was then I realized how silent Shell was being. I looked at her and saw she was simply staring at something ahead. I followed her gaze, gasping when I saw what it was. The entire structure was full of changelings, maybe the entire kingdom. And there, in the middle of the room just in front of an extremely large spike hanging down from the ceiling, was the queen herself. I closed my mouth recovering from the surprise of the full building. Mother stared at us, smiling almost smugly.
"Welcome, son," she hissed, walking towards us. I stepped closer to Shell.
"You guards told us what this place is for," I said, managing to keep my voice straight and close to emotionless. "So you desire to kill us."
"Us?" Mother repeated, her smile fading then quickly returning only with more malice. "No no, only one of you shall die." I tensed.
"The law states that a Royal changeling cannot be killed without good reason. Sneaking out at night to your mystery building is hardly worthy of death. It also says that each Royal must have at least one servant."
"And both of those laws shall go unchallenged," Mother said, nodding. "For you see, I have already selected a servant for you. You now have two. Or rather, had."
"Once more, sneaking out at night is not a crime worthy of death," I growled, pushing my luck a bit with my tone.
"That is my decision to make," Mother said, expression tightening. "Not an heir's, especially a heir as foolish and stupid as you." The words were out, and I heard the crowd of changelings buzz uncomfortably in the tense air. I myself didn't respond, having known how she thought of me for a long time.
"And I respect that, I was simply suggesting what would be better for the colony. Killing an innocent drone, a Royal servant at that," I lowered my voice so no one but Shell and Mother could hear me, "not exactly the best way to raise your renown, is it? At least, not in a good way." Mother's mouth opened slightly, then closed to a thin line. I could hear her breath hiss as it came out through her clenched teeth and her wings hummed slightly.
"Listen to me, Larva," Mother growled, bending slightly lower towards me to match my height a bit better. "I am the ruler, the Queen, of the entire changeling kingdom. It would serve you well to respect me, as your own position is hardly one to be proud about."
"How is being an heir not something to be..."
"The Royal servant Shell shall be executed for assisting in vandalism of the new chamber!" Mother suddenly proclaimed, cutting me off and straightening to her full height. A guard buzzed from the crowd over to us and roughly grabbed Shell, dragging her into the air along with himself. "The selected form of execution will be testing of the new chamber she and the heir, Larva, attempted to destroy!"
"We did not attempt vandalism!" I snarled, having to hold myself back from attacking her right then and there. "This is a false accusation!" The crowd wouldn't have it and erupted into hisses of protest at my outburst.
"Silence!" Mother commanded, locking me in place with her gaze. "The decision has been made, and you will not challenge it!"
I watched as Shell was dropped underneath the the large spike Mother had been near before she came over to me. I stared at her and she stared back at me. I opened my mouth, wanting to scream something, order them to stop, but something in Shell's eyes made me stop. Was it...acceptance? Before I could really figure it out, Shell had turned her head away from me to look up at the spike. I took the opportunity to look at Mother, just in time to see her nod to a few drones hovering at the base of the spike, where it connected to the ceiling. They turned and raised their back hooves, then bringing them down to smash against blue and green bubbles poking out of the spike. They immediately started to glow, energy rushing down from the bubbles to the tip of the spike. For an instant, all was silent and immobile. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Shell turned her head to me once more, the acceptance still there, but I could taste something else in her emotions. Fear. Sadness. But those weren't it, what was it..?
Screaming suddenly erupted through the chamber. A beam of green light came bursting from the spike's tip and crashed into Shell, covering her entire exoskeleton with it's sickly glow. My ears flattened against my head and I shrunk back, terrified by the screaming. Mother only stared, her emotions dry and tasteless. Not even the smugness was there. The screaming continued and I watched, unable to look away, as the gray chitin began to tear away from Shell's body. The shiny green plate on her back went first, shattering and settling to the floor beneath her in a pile of shining powder. Then, something strange happened, something that made the screams seem dimmer and the actual horror less horrifying. I saw fur. The exoskeleton was shattered and torn away, and I saw fur. Blue fur, to be exact.
It was well known throughout the kingdom how changelings were made. An unsuspecting pony was captured, usually a filly or foal, and taken to the kingdom where it was then placed in a cocoon. Over time, a very long time, the pony would be changed into a changeling both internally and externally, physically and mentally. Memories were erased, organs replaced, entire personalities changed. They became something, someone, entirely new. This "beam" seemed to be reversing the process.
I watched as Shell disappeared, gray giving way to more and more blue. Even her eyes began to change. Pupils became visible and the irises became golden. Her horn disappeared, and wings changed to feathers. It was almost like watching a simple transformation, only with screaming and there was no green fire to cover up the changing process. It wasn't long before a cutie mark became visible. A golden bow and arrow. There was a filly there now, screaming and crying in agony under the beam. I had no idea whether she was a different pony, or still Shell in her mind, but I would never find out. The beam didn't stop, and soon the new pony flesh began to tear. There was nothing underneath now, just red muscle being torn away slowly and painfully, eventually giving away to bone that began to turn to dust.
I was finally able to tear my eyes away, not bearing the sight of her being torn at anymore.I fell to the floor, my hooves covering my eyes and feeling my tears. I willed myself to stop shivering, but couldn't stop the tears as the screams continued. eventually, they stopped, and I could only guess the beam had reached either the vocal chords or the brain, maybe the heart or some other vital organ. I let loose my own cry, the image of her flesh being torn away still bright in my mind.
Finally, I heard the buzzing of the beam stop. Everything was silent and I tentatively moved my hooves from my eyes. I made a sound cross between a gag and a gasp when I saw a pile of dust on the floor just under the now smoking spike. My hooves covered my eyes and again my body was wracked with uncontrollable jerks. I heard heavy hoofsteps move past me and I heard Mother mutter something to drone. There was a grunt and I felt hooves grip my sides. I was lifted into the air but I kept my hooves over my eyes. Even when I felt myself pass through the illusion which was an exit I didn't move my hooves.
