A Changeling who looked moderately different than Drones walked down the halls of a green castle. True, this pony hated green, but it would soon be crimson. Soon, maybe too soon. Time was a fickle being. Other Drones bowed to this pony who was slightly taller than them, and her mane was a lovely red or crimson as she put it. Her eyes were dark cherries with blackened slits, and she had holes in her mane and hooves.
Her hoof steps resounded through the silent castle. The only sounds that were heard were hooves stepping and wings fluttering in nervousness. The tall and beautiful mare walked elegantly to the Throne Room, being careful that her mane didn't touch the gunk on the floor. She snarled in disgust, flipping her mane as she walked towards the Throne, many Changelings bowing in respect to their Princess.
At the head of the crowd was another Changeling, holding a velvet pillow with a black and crimson crown on it. Memories flashed through the Changeling's mind; memories and thoughts. Her mind was shot through with the word of her predecessor's seemingly demise.
How pitiful, She thought, snarling her fangs. To be beaten by a simple lowly Alicorn and Unicorn. Her muzzle scrunched in distaste as she continued her slow paced gait to the Throne.
Only days before had Queen Chrysalis been overthrown. Sent to the Badlands, leaving her heiress alone in the Hive. She and her new Colony were in the Wastelands, safe from ponies who hated their breed. Sure, the new Queen was upset to hear that Queen Chrysalis was overthrown and missing, but she had been waiting for this day for a very long time.
The pony who was now the Queen was named Mimic, with a long crimson mane and the most devilish of red eyes. She stood before the Changeling ahead of the crowd, nodding as to show she was ready for her coronation.
The Changeling nodded back before speaking. "My fellow Changelings," His voice boomed, echoing through the halls, even outside so lower-class Changelings could hear it if they were quiet enough. "Sadly, our beloved Queen Chrysalis has been ejected from her Throne. We know not where she is now, even if she is still alive, but may we all wish her peace and happiness wherever she lay." He adjusted his tone to a more serious tone; deadly serious, dripping with venom. "But she did name a single heiress, Princess Mimic."
Every pony applauded their Princess before hushing, a few wings buzzing with excitement. He sucked in a breath and continued. "Princess Mimic, do you accept the duties of Queen of the Changeling Hive? To be the Leader of our Colony? To fight and protect us with each hoof step you take?"
Mimic smiled with a nod, her eyes gleaming beautifully. "I accept to be Queen of the Changeling Hive, Queen of the Wastelands. I will be your Leader, your Queen. I will fight to protect all of you with each and every step my hooves take." She turned to face her subjects, adding one last thing to her small speech. "I assure you all of one last thing." She grinned, a fang protruding from her lip. "I will not make the same mistakes Queen Chrysalis did. I have an even better plan, my new subjects."
The male Changeling nodded, fluttering his wings and placing the crown atop her head gently. He stood with a triumphant grin and bowed before his new Queen. "Every pony, our new Queen! All bow before Queen Mimic!" He roared, echoing throughout the Hive.
As Queen Mimic sat on her Throne, every tiny piece of green goop turned into red violet gunk, pulsing like a heart beat. The Changelings all around the large kingdom saw the pulsing red, bowing towards the Throne Room. Many cheered and rejoiced, but Mimic soon stopped all of the noise with a simple thought and flare of her cherry red eyes.
"Silence!" She yelled, her doubled voice echoing throughout her new kingdom. All words, clicks, buzzes, and humming ceased, including the flutter of wings, the squeals of excitement, and the zap of happy residual magic over the occasional horn.
"W-What ever ails you, my Queen?" The male looked at her with fear, noticing her legs had grown, holes added; her mane grew longer and became more crimson colored with holes in the bottoms. Her carapace was cherry red, and with the pulsing of her eyes and the gel spread through the Wastelands, every other Changeling's carapace, wings, and mane conformed to a variation of reds, violets, and pinks.
"I wish to speak my plans to my new subjects, of course." She dictated in her doubled voice, coated in venomous honey. "But only a few choice subjects. Ones who are loyal and trustworthy with my plans." Her eyes narrowed, eying the crowd. Her gaze was like to vines that were alive, ready to snap and strangle one in a fraction of a second.
With a swish of her tail, the new Queen was off her Throne, headed toward the conference area. She continued her pace, the Drones dispersing as per request of the Guards. Mimic flicked her tail at some green goop, narrowing her eyes at it. Her cherry eyes glowed for a second as she stared at the green mess before it pulsed like a heart beat, becoming blood red. Her lip curled to make a smirk as she walked down the corridor filled with goop.
The Queen came to the door, opening it in her licorice red magic slowly, the door yelling and screaming in protest as she did so. Mimic's ears were happy to hear the tone of pain, protest, and discomfort. In her ears, they were like the sweetest of notes to a flutist, or the harshest of tones to a pony who preferred rock instead.
Her wings opened from their tightly packed sides, two beautiful, butterfly-like wings coated in a shiny pink color. Mimic walked, her hoof steps haunting and echoed, to the head of the table before her. She didn't sit down, she just slid the chair out of the way. Her eyes opened wider, her cherry eyes commanding her most loyal of subjects to come over to her.
Five other Drones piled in, sitting down after bowing to their Queen. They weren't scared, no, they were excited. Finally, a new leader, one who would protect them, unlike Chrysalis, one who would care for them, unlike Chrysalis. But her words only made them worry.
"We're going to Equestria," Her doubled voice chirped. "Any and all who disobey will be taken care of at my hooves. Is that clear?"
"C-Crystal, my Q-Queen," One of them squeaked quietly, ears flattened and wings packed.
"What was that?" Mimic demanded, her eyes narrowing with a frown. "I didn't expect for one to stutter so stupidly like that."
"It is crystal clear, my Queen," He corrected himself quickly with a firm nod.
"Good," She grinned, looking to the others. "What say you, my loyal subjects?"
Three of them nodded, chirping and clicking in agreement with her plan, some more forceful about it than the others, some with less gusto. The last one, however, was a complete and utter shocker.
"My Queen, this is madness! Insanity!" She snapped.
Mimic looked bored; tired of what this Drone was saying. She shot a glance at another female Drone who quickly stepped forward. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again the exact same way and expecting different results." She nodded with confidence.
"You heard her. Are you going to be," She paused, lifting up the female Drone's chin. "loyal... or just another waste of space?" Her gentle chirps and clicks turned into horrid grinds and hisses.
"I cannot just let you lead my fellow Changelings to death! I am sorry, my Queen, but-" She was cut off by the blood going through her throat and out of her mouth.
"I can't have a dead weight and waste of space standing in my way, now can I?" Mimic snarled. While the Drone was going on about the 'insanity' and 'madness' she was leading them into, Mimic had simply used her magic to make a small incision in her throat, causing massive bleeding, which would eventually lead to death.
Mimic loomed over the Drone on the floor with malice. "Do all of you see this? Do you see what I am about to do? Those who look away will get the same, if not worse treatment."
Four nods came and they watched carefully. Their Queen stood over the disobeying Drone and raised her large hoof, quickly snapping it down onto her neck. She let her fun begin as she drained the life from the worthless waste of space. Mimic put enough force as to make it hard to breathe, but not too much as to end her fun too quickly. She twisted her hoof to the right and then to the left with a sickening grin, earning whimpers and cracks from the Changeling under hoof.
"This is what happens when you disobey your Queen!" She growled, pushing her hoof through the Drone's neck. The Drone was still alive, but wouldn't be for long. She had a cut in her esophagus and a hole in her neck, she wouldn't last more than two minutes. Mimic turned to the other four with a grin. "Is this clear? Your punishment?"
They nodded. Mimic quickly whipped her hoof, the blood of the Changeling dribbling off. With her bloody red magic, she wiped away the thick liquid, glaring at one of the other Drones. "Clean up this disappointment. Don't throw her away. Put her in the square so every single Changeling in my Hive knows what happens to Changelings who disobey." She looked to another Drone. "You write that and post it above the body." The last one got a less sinister look. "Make sure a post is put behind the body."
"Yes, my Queen," They chirped in harmony before scurrying away to do what they were told. Mimic grinned. Being Queen was the best feeling in life.
