Though the place he now stood was too dark for the likes of ponies or griffons to see, such a place was no issue for one such as him. For he was no mere beast, but a Changeling, one of the most feared of all the creatures in this world. Many in number, they had gained great infamy amongst the pony nations for the actions of one hive in particular. And that was where Carapace now stood, in the heart of that very hive, waiting to see what future fate would deal him.
Deep within the earth was where this hive lay, far from the prying eyes of those who dwelt in the sun. Far from their interference. Here they could live as Changelings were meant to live, serving their Queen and working for the greater good of their race. Such was his purpose there on this day, as he stood in the middle of the largest chamber in the entire hive. It was vast, even by Changeling standards, and circular in shape. It covered much ground and was divided into various segments. In the centre, where Carapace stood, it was small, and lower down than the other segments, which were littered with thousands of their kind, all filling the air with the near-deafening sound of their chattering.
They called it the arena, and it was an apt title, for this was a place of combat and violence. But such things did not cause fear in Carapace, for only the weak felt such lowly emotions. He was somewhat smaller than other drones of his age, though he more than made up for it with how lean and sharp he looked compared to his brethren. He was the drone equivalent of a dagger, sleek and deadly. And the surface of his body bore the many marks and scars of his previous encounters, each one symbolising a victory for him.
And a sly smile crept onto his face as he realised that only one victory remained before he achieved his goal.
But it was here that the constant chatter of the crowds began to die down, leaving instead an eerie silence, punctuated only by the sounds of approaching hoof-steps. Carapace looked upwards, to a rocky outcrop, where a figure soon took her place. Though still a Changeling, she stood taller than any of them, with a long and green mane, crooked horn and piercing eyes. This was Chrysalis, Queen of the hive, and one of the most feared names in all of the land. It brought Carapace a great sense of pride to be led by one such as her. So ruthless, so cunning, and one with great vision. She was everything that he knew a good Queen should be.
As the leader of the hive surveyed the arena and all who stood within it, her expression was hard to read. But it was not long before she spoke out, loud enough for even the furthest drone to hear her.
"Many duels have been fought, and many have walked away broken and defeated. They are the weakest of us, and will be shunned forevermore!"
There was a chorus of approved shouts from the crowd, of which Carapace was one of them. Such was the way of their people, that the weak submitted to the strong, and the defeated were looked on as little more than things to be reviled. Many of those fallen warriors had been his own victims, and he remembered every torn wing, every broken bone he had inflicted upon them. With some, he'd even gone so far as to take their lives entirely. His chest swelled as he dwelt on such thoughts, how he was stronger than all of them. But his attention was then drawn to his Queen, as she spoke up once more.
"But such contests are necessary, for the future of the hive. For it is only the strongest that are worthy of the position I offer. Only the strong can take their place..."
Though she was high above him, Carapace could see a sly smirk on her face as she finished speaking.
"...as my Consort."
The drone had to resist the urge to return such a smirk, but he could not deny that such a prize was something even the lowliest of them was willing to die for. For he knew that the position of Consort served not only as her top lieutenant, but also as her mate. The Queen was the heart of their people, their will made flesh. To be granted union with her, to be the one to sire the next generation, to know that his offspring would go forth, under her command, and cement their people's dominance over the world, was a thought he had obsessed over ever since he knew such a position could be obtained. If victorious, none would be higher than him, save for the Queen herself. And all he had left was one fight. One final victory, and the object of all drone's desires would be within his grasp.
But for now, he kept his cool and listened as his monarch spoke loudly once more.
"After many fights, we have at last come to the final two."
It was here that Carapace turned his head to the left to look upon the drone that would soon be his opponent. To most outsiders, Changeling drones all looked alike, but for those who paid attention, there were subtle differences. His opponent was bulkier for one thing, and his horn was chipped at the end, as was one of his fangs. To top it all off, he had fewer scars, which either meant he was better at dodging attacks, or had done away with his enemies before they could give him one. Neither option made Carapace feel at ease. But even so, he would not falter, not with his Queen watching. And speaking of whom, her voice carried on it's mighty bellowing.
"Warriors! State your names!"
Carapace stood at attention before speaking loudly in response.
"I am Carapace, my Queen!"
The drone nearby assumed a similar stance before replying in kind.
"And I am Mandible, your Grace!"
Chrysalis observed the two drones before her before giving a short nod, which was promptly returned by the two contestants. With one final utterance, she addressed the crowd.
"Then let the battle commence, and may the greater drone prove victorious!"
With those words spoken, the crowds around them burst out into an uproar once again. They called for blood, for death, for victory and defeat. To Carapace, such noises were glorious, and it gave him a chill down his spine. Turning, he began to face down his enemy, who had assumed a battle-ready stance, with his head and cracked horn pointed downwards, towards Carapace. It was a stance the latter eagerly imitated, and before long the two charged at each other with great fervour. It took mere moment for the two to crash their heads against one another in a ramming motion, their hardened heads causing a massive cracking sound as they collided.
But they were Changelings, and it would take far more than a mere headbutt to do any real damage to them. And so, they backed away slightly before glaring intensely at each other, their fangs bared and their loud hisses and snarls being heard clearly even through the noises of the crowds. They reared up as high as their legs could take them before ramming at each other's heads again, causing an even louder impact noise than before. This time though, Carapace seemed fortunate, as the second impact caused Mandible to become slightly groggy, his head having clearly received quite a battering from the hit.
Carapace wasted no time in this, and launched himself forward before his enemy could react. The former ducked slightly as he moved his head under Mandible's, before using all the strength he had to lift the larger drone upwards, forcing him to stand on his hind quarters. In this moment, Mandible couldn't walk well in this state, and so Carapace spun around quickly to deliver an almighty kick with his hind legs to Mandible's chest. This attack sent his opponent flying backwards. It was a technique that was rather popular with pony soldiers, "bucking" they called it. Carapace just called it useful.
Looking upon Mandible now, he saw that his kick must have been far stronger than he though, as the fallen drone had a massive crack right in the middle of his chest, his shell having been broken by the force of Carapace’s legs. Throughout all of this, all Carapace could hear was the numerous roars of approval from the gathered crowds, though he dared not look up to see how the Queen was taking this. Knowing he had the upper hoof, he knew that now was not the time to hesitate, and so charged forward as fast as he could, stopping just short of Mandible, before rearing up and bringing his hooves crashing down upon the damaged region of Mandible's chest.
This yielded the desired effect, as Mandible let out an almost ear-slitting scream of pain, a sound only matched by the bloodlust-filled cheers of their brethren as they watched. Carapace looked down after this vicious assault, only to see a trickle of blood begin to leak out of Mandible's injury. That, coupled with his now-pained gasps for breath, made it clear that he was in no fit shape to continue this fight. But, with a look of defiance in his eyes, Mandible tried to get himself up, albeit with great difficulty. Frowning at this pitiful display, Carapace stomped his hoof hard into the ground before letting out a loud roar, a warning for his enemy to back down.
There was a moment of uncertainty in Mandible's eyes, as if trying to decide what was the best course of action. But even the blind could see that to continue onwards was foolish at best, and so it was that Mandible surrendered, letting himself fall flat on his back. Smirking, Carapace looked on, greatly pleased at his victory. But his pride was short-lived as, through the chants of the crowd, Mandible called out.
"My Queen! Please! Show mercy! I...I beg you!"
With those words, the entire arena fell silent. With great hesitance, Carapace looked upwards, towards his Queen. Sure enough, her reaction to this was exactly what he'd expected, as her face bore a look of utter disgust as she looked down upon the defeated form of Mandible. And well she should, for there was no greater shame amongst Changelings than to show weakness. To be beaten in battle against your enemies, that was somewhat acceptable, but to literally beg for one's life? That was a sin than no self-respecting drone should ever resort to. Carapace knew what was to happen now, and as he looked down towards his beaten adversary, he knew that he too was aware of it.
Carapace remained still as the voice of Chrysalis could be heard once more.
"You DARE beg for your life?! You disgrace yourself, your hive, by doing this! There can be only one verdict for such a weakling!"
The defeated drone gained a look of terror upon his face, yet another trespass in the ways of their people, to show such lowly fear. Carapace glanced upwards, towards his leader, as she in turn looked down towards him. No words were spoken, but Chrysalis gave a simple, sharp nod, giving him permission to do what Carapace knew was his right. So, giving his enemy a grim look, he walked towards him, with Mandible now too weak to even attempt to crawl away. The expression of fear only became more pronounced as he looked up, right into Carapace’s pitiless eyes, knowing it was the last thing he would ever see in this world.
Baring his fangs, Carapace brought his head down swiftly, sinking the sharp teeth deep into Mandible's neck. There was nothing but silence all around them as the hive watched this summary execution. Carapace maintained his tight grip on his foe's throat, feeling little more than a token attempt at struggling from the latter. The taste of Changeling blood was fresh in the drone's mouth as he kept his vigil, never stopping until, at long last, the struggling stopped. The pained breathing had ceased, and with his mouth's grip still tight on the neck, he could no longer feel a pulse. Once he finally released Mandible's body, letting it flop lifelessly to the ground, Carapace knew he was gone.
With that unpleasant, but necessary task complete, Carapace turned his attention back towards his Queen. Once glance gave him all the information he needed, as Chrysalis said nothing, but gestured with her head to her chambers, the entrance of which were immediately behind the rocky outcropping she stood upon. As she began to make her way inside, Carapace looked around to see his thousands of brethren as they made their way out of the arena, no doubt to return to their duties at digging tunnels and going out to resume their infiltration duties. So, knowing his own duty now, Carapace began beating his wings rapidly and shot upwards.
It did not take long to reach his Queen's chambers, and as he walked in, he glanced around at the home of his great leader. Unlike the monarchs of the surface nations, Chrysalis did not bother with the trappings of royalty. There was no jewellery, no tapestries, no paintings or other unnecessary items strewn about. By contrast, her chamber was relatively Spartan, with only a few holes in the walls to act as windows to other parts of the hive, and a large stone slab which served as her bed. And speaking of which, it was there that he found her, stretched out upon it.
As he looked upon her, he considered himself truly fortunate. He could not fathom how the ponies and other races could look upon her and think of her as anything other than beautiful. The way the dim green light reflected off her shining shell. The sleekness of her blue mane. The way her eyes just entranced those who looked within them. She was, to Changeling eyes, as stunning to behold as they came. But for now, her expression bore a singular raised eyebrow, causing Carapace to tilt his head in confusion, leading to her speaking out.
"You are injured."
Her voice was matter-of-fact, lacking any weak emotive tone than other races would have, such as concern. But regardless, it was only once she'd said that when Carapace noticed a stinging sensation on the top of his head. Reaching up, he patted his head with a single hoof before bringing back down before his face, where he saw that there was a tiny speck of blood upon it. He snorted briefly, as this mark had no doubt been caused during his headbutting session with Mandible. He was smart enough to know not to cause a fuss over such a minor matter with his Queen though.
"Unimportant, my Queen, Just another to add to the collection."
Chrysalis nodded at that, looking over her new Consort. His body, covered with scars, gave the air of a fighter, a warrior through and through. Chrysalis looked at him, and she saw strength. And, judging from the smile that slowly crept upon her face, Carapace knew that was exactly what she wanted. The Queen then broke the silence between them by speaking up again.
"Yes...you will most definitely do. A Queen requires strength. Strength to pass on to her offspring."
Carapace nodded at that, still feeling prideful that fate had deemed him worthy of this honour. He would be the father of a generation of their kind. He knew he would not care for them, nor grant them names, but they would know him as their sire. The others of their hive, those who had proved too weak to earn this, they would look upon him as the strongest of them, for the Queen accepted nothing less. They would respect and fear him in equal measure, and should any challenge him, he would be sure to deal out the same fate he'd dealt to Mandible.
But his attention focused yet again on Chrysalis as she continued, her expression now more serious than before.
"Do you Carapace, swear to represent our people's ways? To be my right hoof?"
Carapace nodded.
"I do."
"And do you vow to root out the weak and cowardly amongst us, those who shame the Changeling name, and show them no more mercy than we show our enemies?"
Another nod.
"I do."
Chrysalis then narrowed her eyes before speaking further.
"And do you vow...to rid the hive of even our own offspring, should they display such lowly traits?"
That was a point Carapace knew was coming, but it had been no less difficult to hear. It was a practice that went back for generations, that the Queen and her Consort should eliminate any of their brood who displayed a less-than-acceptable level of strength, or showed hesitation or cowardice in a fight. It was, even to Changelings, a dark thought, but one he'd prepared himself for. After all, it was their way. Love. Affection. Attachments. Those were the ways of other races. The WEAKER races. And he knew his duty well.
"I swear, my Queen."
Chrysalis regarded him carefully for a few moments, trying to see if he was lying about that. And though Changelings were renowned for their skills in the art of deception, there were none talented enough to lie to a Queen, for they were the greatest deceivers of them all. Once Chrysalis was satisfied that he'd given an honest answer, she gave a short nod before speaking.
"In that case, let us get down to business. After all, I have an ovipositor full of eggs that's in desperate need of fertilisation."
Carapace nodded at that rather direct statement, knowing that he would now be expected to perform his duties as her Consort. So, he looked on as Chrysalis repositioned herself upon her bed, lifting her hind quarters upwards slightly, prompting Carapace to walk to where she was. Only once he was there did she move her tail aside, presenting herself to him. It was a sight that he knew only he would ever be privileged to see, but before he would begin his work, he looked down at his Queen's face as she spoke to him, her face plastered with a sly and amorous expression.
"To the victor..."
She didn't finish that sentence, and so Carapace, now bearing a similarly sly look, finished it for her as he moved closer to her.
"...goes the spoils."
Although most outsiders and lesser races had only a passing familiarity with the Changelings and their ways, the one thing they assumed about them that also happened to be correct was the fact that theirs were not easy lives. Between the near-constant sense of hunger they felt from being without love to feed upon and the endless battles amongst themselves for dominance and stature, theirs was a life of brutality and difficulty. As such, there were very few times in the lives of any of them when they would know anything even remotely resembling pleasure.
But for Carapace, a drone who had fought and struggled his entire life, he knew now what it meant to experience such a feeling. All drones, from lowly workers to the soldiers who protected them, had in some way felt desire for the Queen, but only he had felt her, shared a bed with her. It was an experience he knew the vast majority of his kind would never know, and for that, he was grateful to be one of the fortunate few who did. His union with her lasted for along time, longer than most other species would think possible during such copulation. But eventually, both were exhausted from their efforts, and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
He did not know how long he had slept for, but Carapace woke at what he assumed was the small hours of the morning. It did not take long for the events of the previous night to return to the forefront of his mind, which inevitably resulted in a very satisfied smile creeping upon his face. So satisfied was he that he failed to notice the rousing of his mate, who had now herself woken and brought herself off the stone bed they had shared. However, the smile on Carapace’s face soon vanished and a strange and uncomfortable feeling began to wash over him. It was hard to describe, but his best comparison was to liken it to being squeezed into a tight spot.
It was here that he began to notice the faint green glow that now surrounded him, and his eyes widened with shock, for he knew what it was. Magic. Or rather, the magic used by a very specific person. He attempted to move, but this force kept him stationary, and so instead he listened carefully as the sound of hoofsteps began to encircle the bed behind him. It only took a few moments, but soon he looked upon his Queen, who looked down upon him with a cold and unfeeling expression on her face.
"I am sorry, Carapace. But I'm afraid that our relationship, such as it was, must now come to an end."
The young drone's face broke into a look of utter confusion as he stared at her. His eyes then drifted downwards as he saw her raise a solitary hoof, using it to gently caress her belly, which he could see had already begun to swell after the previous night.
"I thank you for your contribution, my mate. Rest assured, our sons and daughters will know of the strength and ruthlessness of their father."
As she lowered her hoof again, she focused her full attention upon him, with her expression now one of seriousness.
"For you WERE strong. Perhaps the strongest I have ever known in my hive."
Throughout her words, Carapace felt the magic around him become increasingly tighter, so much so that it was becoming more and more difficult to even breathe. Eventually, he began to hear the creaks and cracking sounds as his outer shell began to contort and even break in some places from the immense pressure he was now under, to the point where he could even see blood begin to trickle out from his wounds. As the pain became almost unbearable, he looked up at his Queen, the one whom he'd once admired so much, and spoke what he now knew would be his last words in this life.
"But...why?"
With that final utterance, Chrysalis' face changed to one of unpleasantness, as if she was looking upon one she disdained. As Carapace’s vision began to blur and darken, his lungs taking in their final few breaths, his Queen leaned forward, bringing her face mere inches from his, before whispering to him the answer he so desperately wanted, but would never have expected.
"Because Queens...do NOT suffer rivals."
