A few weeks had passed since the bombshell had been dropped, and Stag was now walking through the Everfree towards the home of the Honeycomb Swarm.

He knew he was in the right place when he saw the sticky traps.

They were simple, consisting of puddles of a yellow substance. Condensed changeling magic^, made sticky in order to trap unwary travelers. Stag paused when he saw the desiccated corpse of a ram, but then continued onward.

***

The home of the Honeycomb Swarm consisted of hollowed-out trees, along with bridges connecting tree platforms. The changelings had bright yellow eyes and golden carapaces, and most of them were going about their lives happy as could be.

Stag approached a large oak tree in the center of the "village." Flanking a large door were two guards, armed with pikes. Stag drew himself up to his full height.

"I, Prince Staghorn Flitterwaif Roachanov, Son of Queen Chrysalis, Descendant of King Metamorphosis, and heir to the Changeling Empire of Neighpon, have come to seek audience with Queen Ambrosia."

The two stood aside, and the door opened, revealing a long tunnel.

Stag walked through the tunnel, dimly lit with sunstones, until he reached a large underground rotunda. On a raised Dias was a simple wooden bench/throne, upon which Ambrosia lounged, snoring lightly.

She was beautiful. Her honey-gold locks were straight, cascading off the throne and touching the ground. Her slightly curved horn stood on her brow. Strange yellow stripes adorned her body, one around the base of her neck, and one just under each shoulder.

Around the room, the light of the sunstones were joined by the soft green of glowing mushrooms and the light blue of Will o' wisps bobbing through the cave. Several of the glowing parasprites were eating the mushrooms, their glowing wings contrasting with their cherry-red bodies and green eyes. A small pool was in the corner, a waterfall trickling into it, the shaft above it providing the only sunlight in the cave.

The beauty was ruined by the carcass of a bear that was laying on the floor. The poor beast was laying in a pool of blood, stuck in place by a sticky trap. Several holes were in its chest, showing it had clearly been gored to death. Stag gulped, then cleared his throat.

"Queen Ambrosia?"

The queen's ears twitched, and she yawned, slowly stretching, blinking slowly before her eyes focused.

"Are you Stag?"

Stag nodded, and she grinned, leaping at the stallion and wrapping him in a hug.

'I'm SO happy to meet you! I mean, I was hoping you'd come, but after a few days I started worrying and I thought you weren't coming, but you're here now and we can go on dates and dance and get flowers and..."

"Ambrosia, what happened with the bear?"

She let go of him.

"Well?"

"Well, I was sitting on my throne..."

"Uh huh..."

"Watching the wisps..."

"Okay..."

"And this bear fell through the hole..."

"Go on..."

"And I stabbed him 47 times in the chest."

Silence.

"Amby, that kills things!"

She blushed slightly at the nickname. Looking at the mare, Stag felt like a pig in a butcher shop.

If I die, I'm going to haunt mom for the rest of her life.

Author's Note

^Changeling slime and cocoons are not organic in nature. Instead, they are condensed magic. the more condensed, the more solid.