The Daughter (Revived)by The BorgChaptersThe City of the North (But South) |Edited 10/24/2015|Birth |Edited 10/24/2015|Celebration |Edited 10/24/2015|The Swarm |Edited 10/24/2015|Time lapses |Edited 10/24/2015|Shameless infodumpThe Path WornThe City of the North (But South) |Edited 10/24/2015|The City of the North (But South) The room is decorated with dark crystals. The floor is covered in a red rug, a large jagged throne at the end of the room. Well done paintings of wizard ponies with the signature of dark magic green and purple. Some with having curved and red horns similar to angry pony bellowing nearby. "What's this about a settlement to the north?" A gray coated stallion with purple glowing green eyes asked a rather malnourished mare in a tattered guardspony uniform. She shook in her boots, a matted and badly kept mane of black. Though it would be hard to tell what color it was naturally, her man was covered in soot. Her nervous hoof to hoof shifting was understandable in the face of a king. A dictatorial king known as Sombra. "I-I said that some of the other guards on the north end of city saw some forms flying in the mountains. When we tried to use the spyglass for a closer look all we saw was white forms flying around. Though they were equine." The king sighs impatiently at her. "Yes, yes. But details are how I deal with them. So give me some!" She shrunk back. "Y-yeah, they uhm...They were definitely flying, but where their heads were we saw some blue instead of actual eyes. Besides that all I can think of is that they were flying really weird. Like a bug in the spring." The king looked down at her. He Would harden his gaze further at her. "Fly like bugs? What's that mean?" She flinches back at the quiet and seemingly cold voice from him. "T--the-they were zipping. Changing direction quickly, nothing normal feathered wings could do. I'm sorry!" His gaze tells her it is time for her to leave him, trotting out with tail between her legs and a frightened expression. The loud, heavy doors of gemstone would close behind her with a extremely loud thump. "They could be nothing..but I don't think that is the case. It can't be the case can it?" The king would say out loud, looking out a nearby window at the ponies below in shackles. They worked all day collecting his lovely collection of crystals, all but the overseers. Like that cowardly mare, humph. But if these bug ponies were to cause a problem in the future he wouldn't be able to collect enough of those lovely gemstones to overpower the royal sisters. He needed to find where or what they were. He needed to do it now. With a flare of his horn he would be surrounded in his magic, the aura of malice growing to consume him. Then he disappeared. A form of white stepping around a egg, the rest of the room of little mention. "My daughter, I know you will bring to our people great strength. I pray to the ancients you will live long, longer than the royal sisters." The changeling princess circles the egg, gently touching it with her magic. She feeling the life inside, moving and squirming. Ready to be brought into the world. "It took years to get the love for you to even begin to develop. Oh with that horrible king taking over the empire we've had to ration. But not for long, the royal sisters make their move soon. When they do hopefully you will be strong enough to lead our winter-bound hive to greatness." Her gaze lands on the number of drones going about the room checking to the other future children of the queen. They are experts at what they do. That is easy to be seen as they check and double check every egg with magic. Heading and cooling to keep the near freezing temperature needed for them to hatch. A smile falls on her face at the sight. The hive only a few thousands strong was very close with itself. All have their own duty and purpose, but giving them free time to socialize was one of the better choices the queen could have made she decided. They had personalities...Although more dulled than any normal pony. None of this mattered too much though, she had to prepare the celebration of her birth, she needed to collect together her children for it. She passed out of the hatchery, the glowing buds of slime on the roof illuminating her way. Moving down a long hall coated in hardened green wax, coupled with a chilling white in some of the more worn sections of the smooth wall. Building into the ice will do that after all. The hall was short before she came to a break in the path. Three other tunnels that met as an intersection were before her. Her children walking through each about their assigned objectives, the hive mind was abuzz with the news that a new queen would be hatching soon, some of the eyes of the drones not in a hurry met here. They would smile and exchange a "My queen." or the sort. Going down the right hall and following some more complex tunnels deeper into the snow and ice caves. She came upon the love collection and distribution center. Twenty or so drones in a chamber with a huge indent in the middle of the floor making a pool of red and purple swirling about. The aura of the love was easy for her to feel as she came in. "We must prepare our reserve for my newest daughter, and the hive must get an extra ration to strengthen us." All eyes came to her. "Yes my queen." She also subconsciously went about setting the throne room and dining area outside of it by ordering her children via the hivemind, Moving to obey the mother of the family. "This will be world changing. I can feel it." Birth |Edited 10/24/2015|Birth I see black, feel it, and smell it. I am darkness. My innards itch and call for my attention, but I only see black, feel it, and smell it. I am darkness. My innards itch and call for my attention, but I can't answer. My muzzle only feels open; nothing comes out when I try to speak. The darkness I am oppresses me. But what is this? I feel something besides the itch. A fuzzy and quiet hum in my mind. It speaks but I do not understand. I try to concentrate on it. It is the voices of many, uncountable voices. But one seems to come from the mess, it speaks. It says I must leave the darkness, it is soft and gentle. I think "But I am darkness, how do I leave it?" And it seems to hear, it laughs. It tells me to thrust my head. I push my head forward; something on my forehead meets the edge of the darkness. I pull back, something slimy sticking to the strange object on my head. I see light, blue tinted, it welcomes me. I push toward the hole in the darkness; I break it open and climb into the light. It feels cold out here in the blue, but I see fuzzy shapes. The friendly voice seems pleased I have come to the blue, it congratulates me. What is that? Something is coming toward me, tall and white. I can't see, it's too fuzzy. Panic sets in, but the voice calms me...From outside my mind. A calm but unintelligible garble, I sit still as the big shape picks me up in a green glow. It softly rubs my exposed cheek, the green glow coming from its forehead brightens. The glow washes my skin of slime I didn't notice I was covered in. The itching stops when it sets me down. I look up, the fuzzy words in my mind slowly phasing into my mind. I hear the thousands of voices say something over and over three times. “Light Step” But the words as they should be understood seemed to have more value. I am confused, it should only mean what it means. “A name.” The form in front of me says, the fuzzy vision and dulled hearing come in line. My sight sharpens. The being before me with white fangs, a long black spire of a horn on her head. The green glow comes from it. Her smile and calm gaze answer. My muzzle only feels open; nothing comes out when I try to speak. The darkness I am oppresses me. But what is this? I feel something besides the itch. A fuzzy and quiet hum in my mind. It speaks but I do not understand. I try to concentrate on it. It is the voices of many, uncountable voices. But one seems to come from the mess, it speaks. It says I must leave the darkness, it is soft and gentle. I think "But I am darkness, how do I leave it?" And it seems to hear, it laughs. It tells me to thrust my head. I push my head forward; something on my forehead meets the edge of the darkness. I pull back, something slimy sticking to the strange object on my head. I see light, blue tinted, it welcomes me. I push toward the hole in the darkness; I break it open and climb into the light. It feels cold out here in the blue, but I see fuzzy shapes. The friendly voice seems pleased I have come to the blue, it congratulates me. What is that? Something is coming toward me, tall and black. I can't see, it's too fuzzy. Panic sets in, but the voice calms me...From outside my mind. A calm but unintelligible garble, I sit still at the big shape picks me up in a green glow. It softly rubs my exposed cheek, the green glow coming from its forehead brightens. The glow washes my skin of slime I didn’t notice I was covered in. The itching stops when it sets me down. I look up, the fuzzy words in my mind slowly phasing into my mind. I hear the thousands of voices say something over and over three times. “Light Step” But the words as they should be understood seemed to have more value. I am confused, it should only mean what it means. “A name.” The form in front of me says, the fuzzy vision and dulled hearing come in line. My sight sharpens. The being before me with white fangs, a long silver spire of a horn on her head. The green glow comes from it. Her smile and calm gaze, coupled with the soft green eyes. Green, I don't remember green. I know the color? Green, huh. But as I said, the smile, I could see it in her. She loved me, the love of a lover? No, this is the love of a mother. This was mother. “H-ha-hello?” I feel my mouth and tongue move, but how do I speak? The buzzing in the back of my mind fades, leaving one voice. “My child, you are part of the joined mind. You hear us all, you understand all we understand." Really? I stop to listen while closing my eyes, the voices become clear. They all add to the chorus, that's when I realize it. I'm being fed information by them all, one voice explains orange, another explains I will grow a shell on my outside for protection. These are brothers and sisters all speaking to me. I feel fuzzy as they all congratulate my existence. My eyes feel wet. Tears, one quickly explains. "Oh shhh." The honeyed voice of my mother says. Mother Rem I am informed, but she continues. "You are overwhelmed by my children's love? Don't worry it will come under control. It must be utter bliss if you are already moved to tears." She pauses, looking down at me. But she remembers something, her face says so. "Ah. You are Light Step, my newest daughter." Her big hooves lightly rub my back. I open my mouth to speak. "What is Loh-ve?" She laughs under her breath. "You already know, you felt it from me when you hatched little one." My mother named Rem stands up, pulling me along in the air with her horn. I learned what that is from my brothers and sisters! We pass through my hatching room, it is filled with small holes in the wall. They all hold hard shelled eggs, unborn brothers and sisters I think. My egg was bigger than the rest, and some of my siblings looking after the eggs wave at me as we pass. Myself and mother have pink hair, but not my siblings. I had a bigger egg. Just why is that? "Because you are not just a normal daughter. You are my successor." Celebration |Edited 10/24/2015|Celebration The tunnel I'm floating through has a seaweed green wall, completely ice floor, even some white poking through the wall. It is all so beautiful to me. Curiously no one else goes about the complex tunnel system. But that is not important in this moment. I look down from my observations of the walls. I'm still surrounded by the green glow of my mother's horn, my siblings say calling her Queen Rem is too formal. She prefers being called mother. She has a grin on her face, almost prancing down the long hallway with me in front of her being levitated. She eyes me all the way, skipping steps in what I can only assume is excitement. "Do you think you can walk?" She asks half a minute into my musing. I look at her as she sets me on the ground on my belly, the cold of the floor under me is comforting. She expectantly looks at me. Further prompting me to stand even over the mindlink, it's comforting to have her in my mind. "M-maybe, I-" I cut myself off. My voice, it's high-pitched and soft. It's only now I realize how it sounds, and somehow...I like it, well minus the pitch. "Ooo-Aaa-Rumm." I sit here, making these sounds. But I hear a cough from in front of me, looking up I realize my antics. "Oh. Sorry. I-it's my voice! I like it." Mother makes a strange little snort, followed by snickering. A hoof goes to her face. What is this? Somehow I feel myself following suit, this feeling in my throat. My mouth opens and I laugh, I don't understand it completely, but the concept is easy. It only lasts a few seconds before I calm down alongside my mother. She looks at me, pushing me to stand again. "No distracting yourself Light Step." She teases. I look back down at my front legs, they are a smooth white. No disruptions but the lower section, I eye the curious indents in my hooves. But they don't seem to mean much so I soldier on to my task. I put my right fore-hoof on the ground firmly, followed by my left. I push myself up into a sitting position, I look back and see my hind legs patiently waiting for my command. I press them against the floor too, going into a stan- Ow! "Owch." I'm laying flat on my face, apparently my front legs weren't ready for the weight shift. Dumb things. But I need to do it before my mother bursts out laughing. I try again, lifting my whole body up at once. This seems to have better results based on my snout not hitting the ground. I look around myself, experimenting with my legs. I lift each hoof and stand a few seconds with each in the air. I think I can walk. "Don't sit there all day Swift Step! Your missing your birth celebration." It only takes me a few seconds to start my stumbling and bumbling walk. I step and step, I tumble right. But am caught in my mother's green magic before I fall. I can see the end of the tunnel by now, it looks like a well lit chamber from here. We get closer and my motor systems seem to finally understand what I want and I walk with little difficulty. The chamber beyond this short hallway appears to be a huge dining room...Filled with pearly white chitin covered siblings. I notice I'm considerably smaller than them. As we enter I can feel the buzzing in my mind get louder, they all look my way. But I'm instructed by mother over the mindlink to keep walking toward the other side of the room. As we walk through my brothers and sisters chitter and buzz their wings in barely held back bundles of energy. They all sit still for the most part, trying to look calm. But I can feel them in my mind. They all want to be jumping for joy right about now, all being held back by my mother it seems. All of them look quite the same. White and transparent fins on the side of the head, indented hooves, small framed and devoid of hair. But some red paint I now notice on the right hoof seems to vary from sibling to sibling. I'm not sure why they would need it, this mindlink seems to identify who you are looking at for you. I think of the strange markings aloud. I am informed over the link that it is for individuality. We walk up to a wall of fog, the fog falls from above. A little slit that spews it can be seen at the top, the fog itself is so thick I can't see past it. But I am prompted to go through it by my mother's touch. I walk toward it, into it. Cold. It's a curtain of cold, very cold and I love it. My body shivers from the feeling of pure bliss, but it comes to an end in a few steps. I'm in a chamber of pure white, no green. It looks like it was all carved. The throne made of ice, it is still attached to the floor. The room is strewn in tapestries showing white wastelands, all beautiful. One depicts a forest covered in snow as if the trees were made to live in snow. Another is mountains and hills of strangely shaped ice. Curving into circles and other such. Besides the throne and works of art there sits a banner above the throne, it shows a....horse? "No" one sister buzzes out a single word over the link. "Windigo" the banner in question portrays it rearing in the midst of a flurry, it's face midsnarl at an off-picture enemy. A small pop sound from hooves hitting the floor behind me catch my attention. "That is a story for another time my little one." I hear her say. Turning to look at her I see she is gesturing for me to sit on the right-hoof side of the throne. I move up the small three steps to the throne and turn left. Lowering my hindquarters to sit, but surprisingly I feel something soft when I sit. Looking down a see a cushion that had been levitated there by my mother. Humph, "I like the cold floor thoughhhh." I whine out. "Well you'll like that more then. Besides the temperature it's quite comfy." She says while taking her throne, sitting down. "Prepare yourself." Prepare myself for wha- The buzzing from the link suddenly explodes in activity. I'm thrown right off my mental chair of control as the whole family comes rushing through the fog, hollering and cheering praise my way. "Oh boy." I feel myself whisper. The Swarm |Edited 10/24/2015|The Swarm Complete and outright chaos. That's what I expected when all the members of our family started charging through the fog. But surprisingly after the initial praise pretty much boiling down to. "Hello Light Step! We've been waiting for you." It is surprising to see them all setting themselves around the room in a neat semi-circle, all fang filled smiles and happy waving. It only takes five or so minutes for everyone to find a place to stand, when all are seated I find myself looking at each marking on the hooves again. One sister of mine in the right-front row has a symbol of a hatching egg, another the symbol of a red heart surrounded by swirls. It seems they all have a role to play, the symbol telling more than the face. That aside I hear Rem clear her throat, I glance to my left to see her looking down at the swarm of white. "As you all know, Light Step here is our newest family member." The chorus of approval was surprising considering I hadn't well met any of them yet. But it felt good. "I'm sure most of you can assume that she is going to take up an important role here since it is rare I ever call a family wide gathering for a birth. As much as I want to, we need to keep productive." "But I deviate from the purpose of this. She will be taking the role of princess." The crowd sits still for a few tense moments, the idea of me being a princess hits my mind like train. She'd said that in the hallway, but I thought it a jest. I fidget in my hooves while the crowd seems to give positive approval for me. I feel some blood run to my cheeks, though nobody could see that if they wanted to. The embarrassment passes when Rem raises a hoof for silence. "All that formal tradition out of the way. Let the feasting begin!" That won a noticeably bigger cheer from them. I was led by a number of them out of the room and back into the chamber outside the fog, looking now I a could see that large indents in the walls going up to the rather high ceiling had been made into booths for food. Tables and chairs carved from ice, the architecture around here seemed simplistic. Being led to a big booth that looks slightly more official, holding more of those /warm/ cushions, ugh. But once I reached the wall where it is I realize it's too high for me to jump. My distress only ramped up when one of my brothers calling himself "Risen Flurry" suggested I use my wings. Even with the buzzing in my mind explaining the concept of flight and some visual aids from Flurry who seems very happy to help I am frightened. The fear is short lived, when I hear him speak again "Just try my sister, I'll be here to catch you when you fall." It is a sweet offer and I think I might take him on it, stretching out my long and alabaster wings. They appear to be see-through, but with a lovely tint of white that camouflaged into the snow. I try to start them up, flapping up and as as fast as I can. It seems to work to an extent as I quickly found lift. If slightly off center. It feels well and good to be in the air, even if only slightly. With much effort I feel my wings begin to rise me the roughly ten yards high booth. I almost lost control halfway there, my wings almost giving out. But I only fall a foot before I feel the body of Flurry catch me in his forehooves. "T-thanks." I mumble out of embarrassment, my considerably small form easy for him to catch. "No worries." He lifts me the rest of the way, placing me up in the booth. The amused smile of my mother meets me when I look to the round table, a cushion placed next to her expectantly waiting for me to sit. I shuffle over to the cushion, sitting down. But I notice Risen Flurry leaving after placing me down I reach my hoof at him. "Wait!" He doesn't hear me because he's too far from me. But he stops, looking back at me, the mindlink? Most likely. My mother looks at me with amusement. "Well, already playing favorites with your brothers and sisters?" I'm only shocked a moment before I can feel mirth from her over the link. I wave him over from his hovering position outside the booth. "Thank you my sister, but any of us would have helped you." I don't really let those words go to heart. "Doesn't matter. I want to meet you personally." I say. Only after the short exchange do I notice the multiple other lings flying to and fro with plates made of what appears to be organic brown stuff...The only think I haven't seen made of ice or wax so far. "What's that?" I point to the first place being placed on the table in one of the few sitting in the booth with me and mother. "Wood. Taken from a kingdom to the south, made from trees." The ling placing them says as if it was common knowledge. "Why didn't the link tell me that?" He looks at me with curious eyes. "Oh, apologies my princes-" "Sister." I interrupt, he regards me with a less formal tone. "My sister, the link only works if you actually ask it. You were concentrated on from hatching until the ceremony. Just grab the attention of one of our voices and we will assist." He said before going to fly off, as he flew off I caught sight of the red symbol of his. A platter with a....Block of snow on it? Before I can ask about it he is already gone and the plate in front of me has just had snow placed on it. Strangely though, it holds a strange glow to it. "Ah! As your first taste of emotion infused snow. I want you to have malice, it's very rare and hard to come by!" I hear the joyful voice of my mother say. "What?" Time lapses |Edited 10/24/2015|Time lapses It was strange for a minute, the impression I had of food was of something tasty and green..But it would appear this was a not required for life, instead a pleasure. "You'll be eating some of this first, we can infused emotion with any substance that is edible but as you see we have a surplus of frozen water." Was all the server said before buzzing off. "You'll need to fill up on some negative emotion, you just hatched after all. You need something to get your blood flowing with energy." My mother commented while placing a cube of ice into her mouth that glowed blueish. But what was before me was red, deep and leaving quite a big impression. "Why negative? What do you have?" I say, questioning the meal before me. "Well, negative emotion is more healthy for you physically. For magic power you need positive emotion. Simply put, you need energy, you make something hate you and then eat the emotion. The same goes for positive emotions." "That seems...Strange, why would I make another brother or sister angry?" A snicker escapes my mother. A forehoof raised to her mouth. "You seem to never ask the link do you? We take from other races. Emotion from our own kind is near worthless." Deciding against further questioning for the sake of my hunger, I turn to my food. It sits patiently, the little pulses of red in it showing. My hoof reaches toward it, I will it to stick to my hoof and it seems to be effective. The taste was of a cold cube, without tasting anything I pinged the link. I was met with instruction to absorb the emotion via my horn while letting the ice and snow melt. It tastes deliciously vile, malice seems so purely straight forward I think I love it. But something sours the discovery. The thought of how it was acquired. It seems so powerful that an influence such as this would be only from one with great loss. "That is a being to the south's excess hatred for the world. He is known as Sombra." My mother mutters. "Wow, what's up with you and freaking me out on my first day here?" *Roughly four days later* I wake up to the sound of the buzzing voices of my family over the link. I've lived in the ice caverns that make up home for a short while. I've grown in size by almost an inch in less that a week, I'm told I'll reach the size of my mother within two years. Not that it matters much, mother has been playing at something with me since I hatched. Something she brings up, the ponies to the south living in the city of crystal. She told me about ponies on my second day after hatching. Since then I've been instructed in how to use the link to my further advantage, a sort of path-finding if you will. If you request to go somewhere that has been traveled before by another member of the family then they send you a imprint of their scent. You can then zero it down and find that path they took. Nifty for getting around. But back to the city, mother says that the emotion collectors down there have had trouble getting positive emotions. Love, happiness, all that. Only the negative, and that's great for the physical development of the hive and the accelerated hatching rates. Most all the normal tier workers here don't have enough energy to use magic because of the drought of the emotion. She says when I've grown to at least a normal ling I will stop the tyrant that now resides there gathering his power through the crystals of the city and surrounding mines. As much as she loves the negative emotion for growth and population reasons she finds it unhealthy to forget magic altogether. This is of little importance beyond monologue , so I sit up. Collecting whatever thoughts had been going through my head and reigning them in. Today I get to see the ponies from afar. Think of that, only a few days out of the shell and I get to go on a recon outing with some of the most skilled infiltrators in our little community. They say a recon team a week or so prior had to take flight to get away from a snow giant, so we need to be cautious about being sighted. It's of little concern with the natural camouflage we have. Though I'm told we won't get near close enough to interact to disguise ourselves. We don't even have the energy to do so. After a quick check for all my provisions being held in the hide of a snow giant fashioned into a bag meant for my back I head out my quarters and down the steps on my immediate left. I check to see if the frozen emotion infused ice, imported compass and knife are all still there.I pass my two personal quarters guards on the last step. They greet my with a smile, only being armed with spears made of chitin and sharpened metal. Imported I'm sure, though not sure the merchant knew who he was selling it to. It takes me only a few minutes stuck in my own thoughts to reach the exit we were to use today. The team of three other lings had already gathered, Some holding weapons fashioned of our 'Resourceful' weapons production teams. They mostly just use their own chitin as blades and other such, I personally find it....Strange. But it can't be helped when the only materials are frozen water and hard dirt under the water. Imports are in small around after all. I look up from my musing to see Risen Flurry, my self appointed guide. Withering Blur, a rather a killing infiltration and recon ling with a white 'Ninja mask' from trotpan. He has no marking on his hoof as his marking...Ask him why he thinks not having your skill in stealth shown explains his skill. "Haya Swift Step! Ready to go?" Our final member and leader of the recon team, White Fury or just Fury as he prefers, Says to me. Looking him in the eye with an expression if pure excitement. "Would you keep a princess waiting for her first time outside?" Shameless infodumpThe scouting trip "I would never keep milady waiting." He responds, tipping his fedora (Not really) I canter up to the group closely, all nodding an affirmative when I inquire if we were ready to go over the link. White Fury wastes no time in turning the corner of the frozen hallway to the left. We all follow closely, me because I'm eager to get out of here and Flurry because I /think/ he may be trying to come onto me with how clingy I've been with him. The corner turn I couldn't have imagined if I hadn't seen it. The exit was literally just an open passage into a mountain pass, we appeared to be a sizable amount up the mountain. Most likely to prevent any blockage by snow of the exit. But it seems we've burrowed ourselves into a thick ice sheet frozen into a mountain in a wasteland...And I feel great as the cold winds brush over my forming chitin, the cold has always made me feel great. By the expressions and body language of my companions I can tell they agree with my assessment of the cold. "Usually this exit is blocked by a ward that creates one of them fog walls. On the outside it would look like more snow on the mountain. It would block any snow flurries making their way in. But uhh...With the lack of magic energy around here it wore off and we can't afford to feed it." "That's too bad, but uhh. Can we get going? I'm getting restless just watching all that open land, my wings are getting better so uhm...I'd like to get started." He nods at me, understanding. "Sure, lets saddle up boys and girl." He says, walking out of our little hole in the ground. Followed by Flurry, then me. Blur seems to prefer taking rear guard as I take my first steps out into the mountain range. The sight is beautiful, better than the paintings and other such artwork outside, I can almost see the flurries dancing with eachother all down the mountain. The winds makes the hilly formations of snow all around dance a splendid play before my eyes. It was really a great sight. But I only had a few moments to love it before we were off, flapping our wings of frigid and thin exoskeleton. (That's right) The days I've had have allowed me to develop my flying muscles. We start the long journey south. Our wings quietly buzzing, only slightly louder than the soft wind howling around us. We fly for quiet awhile, but the link keeps me busy. As instructed by Rem I need to learn how to understand and instruct the hive. Though since most of the normal happenings of the hive I myself to not fully understand yet. I just opt to listen and observe the natural processes. A hour into the flight, still working on the lin- W-what? A small distance away I sight a hulking mass of grey fur. It appears to be busy fighting another one of itself, I can take a guess it's a snow giant. "Snow giant everyling, keep clear." I hear Blur announce over the link, dipping down left. The giants themselves appear to be in some intimidation contest, growling and waving about their arms. How they stand on two without tripping is an interesting thought. They are huge in comparison to even Rem. At least as tall of eight drones trying to stand on two hooves. Looking closer from our little half-circle around the scuffle I can see that they have pure white eyes, tusks from the bottom jaw that curve over the upper lip. Two dots on the face for a nose, surrounded by wrinkled and furry skin. They hold a bipedal posture and long, fur covered arms tipped with three fingers that are in turn tipped with thick claws. The feet hold the same characteristics. All in a massive ball of grey and tinted white. The one I had spotted first seemed to be winning. The other one backing up as he stepped forward. The losing giant waving his arms and yelling in a desperate bid to scare off his assailant it would seem. We reach the end of our circle but I send out a command to wait. I feel I need to see what was about to happen. The smaller giant ends his arm waving and hollering. His face still midsnarl, he drifts his face to take a look up at us. His eyes linger on our floating forms only a few seconds before he bangs his arms on his chest and barrels into the bigger giant. Much to his surprise of the big guy, who had apparently been watching as well. The yelp from the defending party is nearly deafening. These things have quite the set of lungs to hurt my ears from nearly seventy feet above them. This only marginally matters considering the little guy had just taken a bite of the left shoulder of the howling turned screeching big guy. He throws his massive head into the other colossal giant, headbutting him. The effect is immediate, he is no longer biting and is now reeling away. Letting out a screech of his own. The infuriated giant gets up, ignoring the red clump of fur on his shoulder and kicks the other party. Hard. I mean, he might have just broken the smaller guy's entire rib cage. I can hear a audible crack, then the red mouthed menace falls to the ground. Not getting back up. I'm urged to move along by my siblings before I can witness whatever the big guy is walking up to the down combatant to do. But I can hear some rather disturbing sounds behind me as we clear out. I'm not sure how to feel about it. But breeze flies up beside me to let out a "Don't think too hard on any of that. Those things are monsters, even to eachother." I take his word for it and set myself back on hive management. But It only lasts a few minutes, because in the distance I can see the gleam of a huge dome in the distance. "Alright everyling, hit the deck. We don't want to get seen too close." The Path WornSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
The City of the North (But South) |Edited 10/24/2015|The City of the North (But South) The room is decorated with dark crystals. The floor is covered in a red rug, a large jagged throne at the end of the room. Well done paintings of wizard ponies with the signature of dark magic green and purple. Some with having curved and red horns similar to angry pony bellowing nearby. "What's this about a settlement to the north?" A gray coated stallion with purple glowing green eyes asked a rather malnourished mare in a tattered guardspony uniform. She shook in her boots, a matted and badly kept mane of black. Though it would be hard to tell what color it was naturally, her man was covered in soot. Her nervous hoof to hoof shifting was understandable in the face of a king. A dictatorial king known as Sombra. "I-I said that some of the other guards on the north end of city saw some forms flying in the mountains. When we tried to use the spyglass for a closer look all we saw was white forms flying around. Though they were equine." The king sighs impatiently at her. "Yes, yes. But details are how I deal with them. So give me some!" She shrunk back. "Y-yeah, they uhm...They were definitely flying, but where their heads were we saw some blue instead of actual eyes. Besides that all I can think of is that they were flying really weird. Like a bug in the spring." The king looked down at her. He Would harden his gaze further at her. "Fly like bugs? What's that mean?" She flinches back at the quiet and seemingly cold voice from him. "T--the-they were zipping. Changing direction quickly, nothing normal feathered wings could do. I'm sorry!" His gaze tells her it is time for her to leave him, trotting out with tail between her legs and a frightened expression. The loud, heavy doors of gemstone would close behind her with a extremely loud thump. "They could be nothing..but I don't think that is the case. It can't be the case can it?" The king would say out loud, looking out a nearby window at the ponies below in shackles. They worked all day collecting his lovely collection of crystals, all but the overseers. Like that cowardly mare, humph. But if these bug ponies were to cause a problem in the future he wouldn't be able to collect enough of those lovely gemstones to overpower the royal sisters. He needed to find where or what they were. He needed to do it now. With a flare of his horn he would be surrounded in his magic, the aura of malice growing to consume him. Then he disappeared. A form of white stepping around a egg, the rest of the room of little mention. "My daughter, I know you will bring to our people great strength. I pray to the ancients you will live long, longer than the royal sisters." The changeling princess circles the egg, gently touching it with her magic. She feeling the life inside, moving and squirming. Ready to be brought into the world. "It took years to get the love for you to even begin to develop. Oh with that horrible king taking over the empire we've had to ration. But not for long, the royal sisters make their move soon. When they do hopefully you will be strong enough to lead our winter-bound hive to greatness." Her gaze lands on the number of drones going about the room checking to the other future children of the queen. They are experts at what they do. That is easy to be seen as they check and double check every egg with magic. Heading and cooling to keep the near freezing temperature needed for them to hatch. A smile falls on her face at the sight. The hive only a few thousands strong was very close with itself. All have their own duty and purpose, but giving them free time to socialize was one of the better choices the queen could have made she decided. They had personalities...Although more dulled than any normal pony. None of this mattered too much though, she had to prepare the celebration of her birth, she needed to collect together her children for it. She passed out of the hatchery, the glowing buds of slime on the roof illuminating her way. Moving down a long hall coated in hardened green wax, coupled with a chilling white in some of the more worn sections of the smooth wall. Building into the ice will do that after all. The hall was short before she came to a break in the path. Three other tunnels that met as an intersection were before her. Her children walking through each about their assigned objectives, the hive mind was abuzz with the news that a new queen would be hatching soon, some of the eyes of the drones not in a hurry met here. They would smile and exchange a "My queen." or the sort. Going down the right hall and following some more complex tunnels deeper into the snow and ice caves. She came upon the love collection and distribution center. Twenty or so drones in a chamber with a huge indent in the middle of the floor making a pool of red and purple swirling about. The aura of the love was easy for her to feel as she came in. "We must prepare our reserve for my newest daughter, and the hive must get an extra ration to strengthen us." All eyes came to her. "Yes my queen." She also subconsciously went about setting the throne room and dining area outside of it by ordering her children via the hivemind, Moving to obey the mother of the family. "This will be world changing. I can feel it."
Birth |Edited 10/24/2015|Birth I see black, feel it, and smell it. I am darkness. My innards itch and call for my attention, but I only see black, feel it, and smell it. I am darkness. My innards itch and call for my attention, but I can't answer. My muzzle only feels open; nothing comes out when I try to speak. The darkness I am oppresses me. But what is this? I feel something besides the itch. A fuzzy and quiet hum in my mind. It speaks but I do not understand. I try to concentrate on it. It is the voices of many, uncountable voices. But one seems to come from the mess, it speaks. It says I must leave the darkness, it is soft and gentle. I think "But I am darkness, how do I leave it?" And it seems to hear, it laughs. It tells me to thrust my head. I push my head forward; something on my forehead meets the edge of the darkness. I pull back, something slimy sticking to the strange object on my head. I see light, blue tinted, it welcomes me. I push toward the hole in the darkness; I break it open and climb into the light. It feels cold out here in the blue, but I see fuzzy shapes. The friendly voice seems pleased I have come to the blue, it congratulates me. What is that? Something is coming toward me, tall and white. I can't see, it's too fuzzy. Panic sets in, but the voice calms me...From outside my mind. A calm but unintelligible garble, I sit still as the big shape picks me up in a green glow. It softly rubs my exposed cheek, the green glow coming from its forehead brightens. The glow washes my skin of slime I didn't notice I was covered in. The itching stops when it sets me down. I look up, the fuzzy words in my mind slowly phasing into my mind. I hear the thousands of voices say something over and over three times. “Light Step” But the words as they should be understood seemed to have more value. I am confused, it should only mean what it means. “A name.” The form in front of me says, the fuzzy vision and dulled hearing come in line. My sight sharpens. The being before me with white fangs, a long black spire of a horn on her head. The green glow comes from it. Her smile and calm gaze answer. My muzzle only feels open; nothing comes out when I try to speak. The darkness I am oppresses me. But what is this? I feel something besides the itch. A fuzzy and quiet hum in my mind. It speaks but I do not understand. I try to concentrate on it. It is the voices of many, uncountable voices. But one seems to come from the mess, it speaks. It says I must leave the darkness, it is soft and gentle. I think "But I am darkness, how do I leave it?" And it seems to hear, it laughs. It tells me to thrust my head. I push my head forward; something on my forehead meets the edge of the darkness. I pull back, something slimy sticking to the strange object on my head. I see light, blue tinted, it welcomes me. I push toward the hole in the darkness; I break it open and climb into the light. It feels cold out here in the blue, but I see fuzzy shapes. The friendly voice seems pleased I have come to the blue, it congratulates me. What is that? Something is coming toward me, tall and black. I can't see, it's too fuzzy. Panic sets in, but the voice calms me...From outside my mind. A calm but unintelligible garble, I sit still at the big shape picks me up in a green glow. It softly rubs my exposed cheek, the green glow coming from its forehead brightens. The glow washes my skin of slime I didn’t notice I was covered in. The itching stops when it sets me down. I look up, the fuzzy words in my mind slowly phasing into my mind. I hear the thousands of voices say something over and over three times. “Light Step” But the words as they should be understood seemed to have more value. I am confused, it should only mean what it means. “A name.” The form in front of me says, the fuzzy vision and dulled hearing come in line. My sight sharpens. The being before me with white fangs, a long silver spire of a horn on her head. The green glow comes from it. Her smile and calm gaze, coupled with the soft green eyes. Green, I don't remember green. I know the color? Green, huh. But as I said, the smile, I could see it in her. She loved me, the love of a lover? No, this is the love of a mother. This was mother. “H-ha-hello?” I feel my mouth and tongue move, but how do I speak? The buzzing in the back of my mind fades, leaving one voice. “My child, you are part of the joined mind. You hear us all, you understand all we understand." Really? I stop to listen while closing my eyes, the voices become clear. They all add to the chorus, that's when I realize it. I'm being fed information by them all, one voice explains orange, another explains I will grow a shell on my outside for protection. These are brothers and sisters all speaking to me. I feel fuzzy as they all congratulate my existence. My eyes feel wet. Tears, one quickly explains. "Oh shhh." The honeyed voice of my mother says. Mother Rem I am informed, but she continues. "You are overwhelmed by my children's love? Don't worry it will come under control. It must be utter bliss if you are already moved to tears." She pauses, looking down at me. But she remembers something, her face says so. "Ah. You are Light Step, my newest daughter." Her big hooves lightly rub my back. I open my mouth to speak. "What is Loh-ve?" She laughs under her breath. "You already know, you felt it from me when you hatched little one." My mother named Rem stands up, pulling me along in the air with her horn. I learned what that is from my brothers and sisters! We pass through my hatching room, it is filled with small holes in the wall. They all hold hard shelled eggs, unborn brothers and sisters I think. My egg was bigger than the rest, and some of my siblings looking after the eggs wave at me as we pass. Myself and mother have pink hair, but not my siblings. I had a bigger egg. Just why is that? "Because you are not just a normal daughter. You are my successor."
Celebration |Edited 10/24/2015|Celebration The tunnel I'm floating through has a seaweed green wall, completely ice floor, even some white poking through the wall. It is all so beautiful to me. Curiously no one else goes about the complex tunnel system. But that is not important in this moment. I look down from my observations of the walls. I'm still surrounded by the green glow of my mother's horn, my siblings say calling her Queen Rem is too formal. She prefers being called mother. She has a grin on her face, almost prancing down the long hallway with me in front of her being levitated. She eyes me all the way, skipping steps in what I can only assume is excitement. "Do you think you can walk?" She asks half a minute into my musing. I look at her as she sets me on the ground on my belly, the cold of the floor under me is comforting. She expectantly looks at me. Further prompting me to stand even over the mindlink, it's comforting to have her in my mind. "M-maybe, I-" I cut myself off. My voice, it's high-pitched and soft. It's only now I realize how it sounds, and somehow...I like it, well minus the pitch. "Ooo-Aaa-Rumm." I sit here, making these sounds. But I hear a cough from in front of me, looking up I realize my antics. "Oh. Sorry. I-it's my voice! I like it." Mother makes a strange little snort, followed by snickering. A hoof goes to her face. What is this? Somehow I feel myself following suit, this feeling in my throat. My mouth opens and I laugh, I don't understand it completely, but the concept is easy. It only lasts a few seconds before I calm down alongside my mother. She looks at me, pushing me to stand again. "No distracting yourself Light Step." She teases. I look back down at my front legs, they are a smooth white. No disruptions but the lower section, I eye the curious indents in my hooves. But they don't seem to mean much so I soldier on to my task. I put my right fore-hoof on the ground firmly, followed by my left. I push myself up into a sitting position, I look back and see my hind legs patiently waiting for my command. I press them against the floor too, going into a stan- Ow! "Owch." I'm laying flat on my face, apparently my front legs weren't ready for the weight shift. Dumb things. But I need to do it before my mother bursts out laughing. I try again, lifting my whole body up at once. This seems to have better results based on my snout not hitting the ground. I look around myself, experimenting with my legs. I lift each hoof and stand a few seconds with each in the air. I think I can walk. "Don't sit there all day Swift Step! Your missing your birth celebration." It only takes me a few seconds to start my stumbling and bumbling walk. I step and step, I tumble right. But am caught in my mother's green magic before I fall. I can see the end of the tunnel by now, it looks like a well lit chamber from here. We get closer and my motor systems seem to finally understand what I want and I walk with little difficulty. The chamber beyond this short hallway appears to be a huge dining room...Filled with pearly white chitin covered siblings. I notice I'm considerably smaller than them. As we enter I can feel the buzzing in my mind get louder, they all look my way. But I'm instructed by mother over the mindlink to keep walking toward the other side of the room. As we walk through my brothers and sisters chitter and buzz their wings in barely held back bundles of energy. They all sit still for the most part, trying to look calm. But I can feel them in my mind. They all want to be jumping for joy right about now, all being held back by my mother it seems. All of them look quite the same. White and transparent fins on the side of the head, indented hooves, small framed and devoid of hair. But some red paint I now notice on the right hoof seems to vary from sibling to sibling. I'm not sure why they would need it, this mindlink seems to identify who you are looking at for you. I think of the strange markings aloud. I am informed over the link that it is for individuality. We walk up to a wall of fog, the fog falls from above. A little slit that spews it can be seen at the top, the fog itself is so thick I can't see past it. But I am prompted to go through it by my mother's touch. I walk toward it, into it. Cold. It's a curtain of cold, very cold and I love it. My body shivers from the feeling of pure bliss, but it comes to an end in a few steps. I'm in a chamber of pure white, no green. It looks like it was all carved. The throne made of ice, it is still attached to the floor. The room is strewn in tapestries showing white wastelands, all beautiful. One depicts a forest covered in snow as if the trees were made to live in snow. Another is mountains and hills of strangely shaped ice. Curving into circles and other such. Besides the throne and works of art there sits a banner above the throne, it shows a....horse? "No" one sister buzzes out a single word over the link. "Windigo" the banner in question portrays it rearing in the midst of a flurry, it's face midsnarl at an off-picture enemy. A small pop sound from hooves hitting the floor behind me catch my attention. "That is a story for another time my little one." I hear her say. Turning to look at her I see she is gesturing for me to sit on the right-hoof side of the throne. I move up the small three steps to the throne and turn left. Lowering my hindquarters to sit, but surprisingly I feel something soft when I sit. Looking down a see a cushion that had been levitated there by my mother. Humph, "I like the cold floor thoughhhh." I whine out. "Well you'll like that more then. Besides the temperature it's quite comfy." She says while taking her throne, sitting down. "Prepare yourself." Prepare myself for wha- The buzzing from the link suddenly explodes in activity. I'm thrown right off my mental chair of control as the whole family comes rushing through the fog, hollering and cheering praise my way. "Oh boy." I feel myself whisper.
The Swarm |Edited 10/24/2015|The Swarm Complete and outright chaos. That's what I expected when all the members of our family started charging through the fog. But surprisingly after the initial praise pretty much boiling down to. "Hello Light Step! We've been waiting for you." It is surprising to see them all setting themselves around the room in a neat semi-circle, all fang filled smiles and happy waving. It only takes five or so minutes for everyone to find a place to stand, when all are seated I find myself looking at each marking on the hooves again. One sister of mine in the right-front row has a symbol of a hatching egg, another the symbol of a red heart surrounded by swirls. It seems they all have a role to play, the symbol telling more than the face. That aside I hear Rem clear her throat, I glance to my left to see her looking down at the swarm of white. "As you all know, Light Step here is our newest family member." The chorus of approval was surprising considering I hadn't well met any of them yet. But it felt good. "I'm sure most of you can assume that she is going to take up an important role here since it is rare I ever call a family wide gathering for a birth. As much as I want to, we need to keep productive." "But I deviate from the purpose of this. She will be taking the role of princess." The crowd sits still for a few tense moments, the idea of me being a princess hits my mind like train. She'd said that in the hallway, but I thought it a jest. I fidget in my hooves while the crowd seems to give positive approval for me. I feel some blood run to my cheeks, though nobody could see that if they wanted to. The embarrassment passes when Rem raises a hoof for silence. "All that formal tradition out of the way. Let the feasting begin!" That won a noticeably bigger cheer from them. I was led by a number of them out of the room and back into the chamber outside the fog, looking now I a could see that large indents in the walls going up to the rather high ceiling had been made into booths for food. Tables and chairs carved from ice, the architecture around here seemed simplistic. Being led to a big booth that looks slightly more official, holding more of those /warm/ cushions, ugh. But once I reached the wall where it is I realize it's too high for me to jump. My distress only ramped up when one of my brothers calling himself "Risen Flurry" suggested I use my wings. Even with the buzzing in my mind explaining the concept of flight and some visual aids from Flurry who seems very happy to help I am frightened. The fear is short lived, when I hear him speak again "Just try my sister, I'll be here to catch you when you fall." It is a sweet offer and I think I might take him on it, stretching out my long and alabaster wings. They appear to be see-through, but with a lovely tint of white that camouflaged into the snow. I try to start them up, flapping up and as as fast as I can. It seems to work to an extent as I quickly found lift. If slightly off center. It feels well and good to be in the air, even if only slightly. With much effort I feel my wings begin to rise me the roughly ten yards high booth. I almost lost control halfway there, my wings almost giving out. But I only fall a foot before I feel the body of Flurry catch me in his forehooves. "T-thanks." I mumble out of embarrassment, my considerably small form easy for him to catch. "No worries." He lifts me the rest of the way, placing me up in the booth. The amused smile of my mother meets me when I look to the round table, a cushion placed next to her expectantly waiting for me to sit. I shuffle over to the cushion, sitting down. But I notice Risen Flurry leaving after placing me down I reach my hoof at him. "Wait!" He doesn't hear me because he's too far from me. But he stops, looking back at me, the mindlink? Most likely. My mother looks at me with amusement. "Well, already playing favorites with your brothers and sisters?" I'm only shocked a moment before I can feel mirth from her over the link. I wave him over from his hovering position outside the booth. "Thank you my sister, but any of us would have helped you." I don't really let those words go to heart. "Doesn't matter. I want to meet you personally." I say. Only after the short exchange do I notice the multiple other lings flying to and fro with plates made of what appears to be organic brown stuff...The only think I haven't seen made of ice or wax so far. "What's that?" I point to the first place being placed on the table in one of the few sitting in the booth with me and mother. "Wood. Taken from a kingdom to the south, made from trees." The ling placing them says as if it was common knowledge. "Why didn't the link tell me that?" He looks at me with curious eyes. "Oh, apologies my princes-" "Sister." I interrupt, he regards me with a less formal tone. "My sister, the link only works if you actually ask it. You were concentrated on from hatching until the ceremony. Just grab the attention of one of our voices and we will assist." He said before going to fly off, as he flew off I caught sight of the red symbol of his. A platter with a....Block of snow on it? Before I can ask about it he is already gone and the plate in front of me has just had snow placed on it. Strangely though, it holds a strange glow to it. "Ah! As your first taste of emotion infused snow. I want you to have malice, it's very rare and hard to come by!" I hear the joyful voice of my mother say. "What?"
Time lapses |Edited 10/24/2015|Time lapses It was strange for a minute, the impression I had of food was of something tasty and green..But it would appear this was a not required for life, instead a pleasure. "You'll be eating some of this first, we can infused emotion with any substance that is edible but as you see we have a surplus of frozen water." Was all the server said before buzzing off. "You'll need to fill up on some negative emotion, you just hatched after all. You need something to get your blood flowing with energy." My mother commented while placing a cube of ice into her mouth that glowed blueish. But what was before me was red, deep and leaving quite a big impression. "Why negative? What do you have?" I say, questioning the meal before me. "Well, negative emotion is more healthy for you physically. For magic power you need positive emotion. Simply put, you need energy, you make something hate you and then eat the emotion. The same goes for positive emotions." "That seems...Strange, why would I make another brother or sister angry?" A snicker escapes my mother. A forehoof raised to her mouth. "You seem to never ask the link do you? We take from other races. Emotion from our own kind is near worthless." Deciding against further questioning for the sake of my hunger, I turn to my food. It sits patiently, the little pulses of red in it showing. My hoof reaches toward it, I will it to stick to my hoof and it seems to be effective. The taste was of a cold cube, without tasting anything I pinged the link. I was met with instruction to absorb the emotion via my horn while letting the ice and snow melt. It tastes deliciously vile, malice seems so purely straight forward I think I love it. But something sours the discovery. The thought of how it was acquired. It seems so powerful that an influence such as this would be only from one with great loss. "That is a being to the south's excess hatred for the world. He is known as Sombra." My mother mutters. "Wow, what's up with you and freaking me out on my first day here?" *Roughly four days later* I wake up to the sound of the buzzing voices of my family over the link. I've lived in the ice caverns that make up home for a short while. I've grown in size by almost an inch in less that a week, I'm told I'll reach the size of my mother within two years. Not that it matters much, mother has been playing at something with me since I hatched. Something she brings up, the ponies to the south living in the city of crystal. She told me about ponies on my second day after hatching. Since then I've been instructed in how to use the link to my further advantage, a sort of path-finding if you will. If you request to go somewhere that has been traveled before by another member of the family then they send you a imprint of their scent. You can then zero it down and find that path they took. Nifty for getting around. But back to the city, mother says that the emotion collectors down there have had trouble getting positive emotions. Love, happiness, all that. Only the negative, and that's great for the physical development of the hive and the accelerated hatching rates. Most all the normal tier workers here don't have enough energy to use magic because of the drought of the emotion. She says when I've grown to at least a normal ling I will stop the tyrant that now resides there gathering his power through the crystals of the city and surrounding mines. As much as she loves the negative emotion for growth and population reasons she finds it unhealthy to forget magic altogether. This is of little importance beyond monologue , so I sit up. Collecting whatever thoughts had been going through my head and reigning them in. Today I get to see the ponies from afar. Think of that, only a few days out of the shell and I get to go on a recon outing with some of the most skilled infiltrators in our little community. They say a recon team a week or so prior had to take flight to get away from a snow giant, so we need to be cautious about being sighted. It's of little concern with the natural camouflage we have. Though I'm told we won't get near close enough to interact to disguise ourselves. We don't even have the energy to do so. After a quick check for all my provisions being held in the hide of a snow giant fashioned into a bag meant for my back I head out my quarters and down the steps on my immediate left. I check to see if the frozen emotion infused ice, imported compass and knife are all still there.I pass my two personal quarters guards on the last step. They greet my with a smile, only being armed with spears made of chitin and sharpened metal. Imported I'm sure, though not sure the merchant knew who he was selling it to. It takes me only a few minutes stuck in my own thoughts to reach the exit we were to use today. The team of three other lings had already gathered, Some holding weapons fashioned of our 'Resourceful' weapons production teams. They mostly just use their own chitin as blades and other such, I personally find it....Strange. But it can't be helped when the only materials are frozen water and hard dirt under the water. Imports are in small around after all. I look up from my musing to see Risen Flurry, my self appointed guide. Withering Blur, a rather a killing infiltration and recon ling with a white 'Ninja mask' from trotpan. He has no marking on his hoof as his marking...Ask him why he thinks not having your skill in stealth shown explains his skill. "Haya Swift Step! Ready to go?" Our final member and leader of the recon team, White Fury or just Fury as he prefers, Says to me. Looking him in the eye with an expression if pure excitement. "Would you keep a princess waiting for her first time outside?"
Shameless infodumpThe scouting trip "I would never keep milady waiting." He responds, tipping his fedora (Not really) I canter up to the group closely, all nodding an affirmative when I inquire if we were ready to go over the link. White Fury wastes no time in turning the corner of the frozen hallway to the left. We all follow closely, me because I'm eager to get out of here and Flurry because I /think/ he may be trying to come onto me with how clingy I've been with him. The corner turn I couldn't have imagined if I hadn't seen it. The exit was literally just an open passage into a mountain pass, we appeared to be a sizable amount up the mountain. Most likely to prevent any blockage by snow of the exit. But it seems we've burrowed ourselves into a thick ice sheet frozen into a mountain in a wasteland...And I feel great as the cold winds brush over my forming chitin, the cold has always made me feel great. By the expressions and body language of my companions I can tell they agree with my assessment of the cold. "Usually this exit is blocked by a ward that creates one of them fog walls. On the outside it would look like more snow on the mountain. It would block any snow flurries making their way in. But uhh...With the lack of magic energy around here it wore off and we can't afford to feed it." "That's too bad, but uhh. Can we get going? I'm getting restless just watching all that open land, my wings are getting better so uhm...I'd like to get started." He nods at me, understanding. "Sure, lets saddle up boys and girl." He says, walking out of our little hole in the ground. Followed by Flurry, then me. Blur seems to prefer taking rear guard as I take my first steps out into the mountain range. The sight is beautiful, better than the paintings and other such artwork outside, I can almost see the flurries dancing with eachother all down the mountain. The winds makes the hilly formations of snow all around dance a splendid play before my eyes. It was really a great sight. But I only had a few moments to love it before we were off, flapping our wings of frigid and thin exoskeleton. (That's right) The days I've had have allowed me to develop my flying muscles. We start the long journey south. Our wings quietly buzzing, only slightly louder than the soft wind howling around us. We fly for quiet awhile, but the link keeps me busy. As instructed by Rem I need to learn how to understand and instruct the hive. Though since most of the normal happenings of the hive I myself to not fully understand yet. I just opt to listen and observe the natural processes. A hour into the flight, still working on the lin- W-what? A small distance away I sight a hulking mass of grey fur. It appears to be busy fighting another one of itself, I can take a guess it's a snow giant. "Snow giant everyling, keep clear." I hear Blur announce over the link, dipping down left. The giants themselves appear to be in some intimidation contest, growling and waving about their arms. How they stand on two without tripping is an interesting thought. They are huge in comparison to even Rem. At least as tall of eight drones trying to stand on two hooves. Looking closer from our little half-circle around the scuffle I can see that they have pure white eyes, tusks from the bottom jaw that curve over the upper lip. Two dots on the face for a nose, surrounded by wrinkled and furry skin. They hold a bipedal posture and long, fur covered arms tipped with three fingers that are in turn tipped with thick claws. The feet hold the same characteristics. All in a massive ball of grey and tinted white. The one I had spotted first seemed to be winning. The other one backing up as he stepped forward. The losing giant waving his arms and yelling in a desperate bid to scare off his assailant it would seem. We reach the end of our circle but I send out a command to wait. I feel I need to see what was about to happen. The smaller giant ends his arm waving and hollering. His face still midsnarl, he drifts his face to take a look up at us. His eyes linger on our floating forms only a few seconds before he bangs his arms on his chest and barrels into the bigger giant. Much to his surprise of the big guy, who had apparently been watching as well. The yelp from the defending party is nearly deafening. These things have quite the set of lungs to hurt my ears from nearly seventy feet above them. This only marginally matters considering the little guy had just taken a bite of the left shoulder of the howling turned screeching big guy. He throws his massive head into the other colossal giant, headbutting him. The effect is immediate, he is no longer biting and is now reeling away. Letting out a screech of his own. The infuriated giant gets up, ignoring the red clump of fur on his shoulder and kicks the other party. Hard. I mean, he might have just broken the smaller guy's entire rib cage. I can hear a audible crack, then the red mouthed menace falls to the ground. Not getting back up. I'm urged to move along by my siblings before I can witness whatever the big guy is walking up to the down combatant to do. But I can hear some rather disturbing sounds behind me as we clear out. I'm not sure how to feel about it. But breeze flies up beside me to let out a "Don't think too hard on any of that. Those things are monsters, even to eachother." I take his word for it and set myself back on hive management. But It only lasts a few minutes, because in the distance I can see the gleam of a huge dome in the distance. "Alright everyling, hit the deck. We don't want to get seen too close."
