The Changeling Theatre

Outside the monolithic castle's stone entrance, a platoon of changeling drones stood in rank outside, all awaiting the Queen's arrival.

Pax looked to Bruscillus, "Do we really have to do this every time she comes back to the castle?" Whispered Pax with a distressed tone.

"Every day ,my friend." Bruscillus breathe-fully answered.

"Where is she, I don't see her." said Pax while squinting at the horizon.

"A certain cerebrate thought it would be a good idea to post runners in a few mile radius from the castle to alert the coming of the Queen today. So, we might be standing out here for a while." Buscillus said under a sigh , scratching under his helmet as he stared out to the horizon.

20 minutes later in the beating sun, the Queen was finally in visible range of the guards.

The guards were sweating profusely, the dark shaded armor made them feel like small cooking ovens with legs.

"About damn time." One drone whispered. All the other drones silently agreeing.

The bug horns sounded off again, releasing a bellowing buzz throughout the castle field. But one bug horn failed to sound off on the far eastern watchtower.

***************

"What's wrong with it?!" said the young female cerebrate in a high pitch squeak of agitation.

"I don't know-I don't know!" The changeling rapidly blurted out as he scurried around and about the giant crustacean horn.

"Hurry up and get it to work!" The spastic cerebrate exclaimed. "They're so going to have my hide for this." She said as she was anxiously prancing in place.

" First day on the job and I screw up!" She squeaked; her eyes bulged as she grabbed a hold of her head. "Oh what will they do to me if I don't sound this off when the Queen enters the castle!" She grabbed the other changeling in panic with sweat dripping from her head as she gritted teeth.

"You mean what they'll do to us..." Corrected the changeling with a frown while brushing off the scared cerebrate.

"Whatever, Have you gotten it to work yet?" The young cerebrate said in anxiety as the changeling was just finished examining the shell horn.

"I think so..." the changeling said as he bucked the side of the shell three times. A small skittering sound resounded from the front of the horn.

"Okay, now lets try." The changeling took a deep breathe and blew into the mouth piece.

For the first few moments the horn was only blowing air until something broke free. The horn then buzzed loudly as a pigeon shot out of the front of the horn like a cannon ball.

"Well, found the problem." the changeling remarked as the dazed bird flew directionlessly over head before hitting the side of the a castle tower with a small puff of feathers.

***************

The Queen was now passing the heat beaten and disgruntled drones in her own little shaded crustacean carriage. Following the insect queen were her Praetorians and Harbingers, the Queen's bodyguards and closest advisers.

The praetorians clad in their royal armor marched in uniform as they followed the Queen. Their helm plumes fluttering in the wind as they marched through the castle gate with the resounding *Thrum, thrum, thrum* under their hooves.

The praetorians were the most combat educated drones in the Hive. Clad in the heaviest and stylized armors, they still would be able fight through hordes of Cave Spiders and Glowmethian Centipedes for hours on end. These specimen of war were hoof picked by the Queen herself.  For a changeling to even be considered of being a praetorian; he must go through the deepest depths of the catacombs, out through the back entrance cavern inside the ancient Everfree, and return to the castle gate alive. Many have trekked through the deep catacombs, nearly half have yet to return. The ones that made it through were obviously very lucky to not encounter the beast that lived in the catacombs.

The praetorians are then rewarded the the royal crustaic armor with a scaled skirt and a Romanesque gallea helm for their prowess and bravery.

In contrary, The pompous Harbingers were the Queen's closest advisers and arcane masters of the hive. They acquired their status by reading hordes of magical tomes, something that would be rather difficult for normal changelings because they were never taught to read. Most harbingers were sometimes rude, demeaning , and very ignorant of the intelligence of the other hive members other than the Queen's. To overly blare their status to the lower castes of the Hive, they wear the most extravagant clothing and robes that many changelings would only dream to touch. Their normal apparel was a hooded amethyst robe with yellow rimming. The rimming would have many intricate runes stitched in along with small strings of golden relics or gem embossed amulets that would hang along the breast area. All of their clothing was usually made through mystical means, using the finest silks through arcane conjuration and textile work with magical precision.

The harbingers; their heads held high and their gait more confident than it should be, walked onward behind the praetorians. Whenever a harbinger's eyes met one of the posted guards they would huff in an elitist matter, and brush away their sight to another object.

"Show offs..." whispered one guard as they were given stink-eyes by the harbingers as they passed.

One harbinger took notice and pointed her hoof towards the taunting guard.

"What did you just say?" the female harbinger spoke out with an irritated haughty voice. Her eyes gazing with a pure fiery hatred.

"Uh nothing, I said nothing." the guard the coughed out as more sweat started to form under his helm.

"Good... You best keep your pea-brained self that way." The harbinger said as she pranced on with a huff and her head held high.

The guard and those surrounding him all took up a silent chorus of funny faces directed at the pompous harbinger.

Once the last of the pompous changelings passed the entrance, the platoon soon gave way to their heat exhaustion and slumped about. The leading captain of the platoon allowed the soldiers to take leave as they entered the castle.

***************

The day was slowly drifting towards the afternoon, inside the mess hall changelings workers and drones were loitering about; all sharing stories and playing small conventional games. Once in a blue moon, a small brawl would break out between a few drunken changelings who've pulled too many hard cider mugs from the castle vault.

Surrounding the loitering crowd was the great hall, much of it ill kempt and very gray looking. Much of the tapestry and decor ripped away from centuries of ransacking and looting. The only lights that glowed above were the remaining wooden chandelier candles and the holes in the ceiling. Down below on a few tall braziers holding giant glow gems stood along the corners of the great room. The gems giving off a bright cyan light would flicker randomly as moths would attempt to collide with the large gems. In the middle of the great hall's floor, long wooden tables stood, all facing towards an old dust covered throne at the far end of the room.

Changelings were trotting about, talking and loitering amongst each other. Some babbled on about random day-to-day stories as others whisper to each other about unjust treatment bestowed by their superiors.

In the very middle of the room; a large crowd formed around two small groups of intoxicated changelings. Mugs and spattered cider littered the floor around them.

"Well...uh," The smaller changeling worker attempted to gather his words as he downed the last swig of the hard cider in his mug. Then carelessly dropped the mug in-front of him, showing a blushed face of a boozer.

"You're stupid and fat!-*Hic*" The worker said unintelligibly as he pointed his wobbly hoof  in the general direction of the large drone guard. His face carrying a stupid grin and his eyes unevenly opened.

"Oh rea-*hic*-lly?" The inebriated guard said with one brow cocked; fang and tooth shining as if he were to bite something. The drunk guard stumbled towards the group of small intoxicated workers, whom seemed to having trouble standing without wobbling about. He  stood a foot away from the smug changeling, he looked down and poked his hoof on the challenger's chest.

"Say that aga-*hic*-in," He tilted his head and cracked his neck. His brows failing to come together; making it look as if he were dazed from a buck to the head than the expression of anger.

"I will!...Let me just -*Burp*- get this here thingy." He pulled mug off a random bystander and downed all of the cider inside. He threw the mug behind him, hitting one of his colleagues in the head with a loud "Thonk".

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea Phillip..." Said one voice in the drunken crowd.

"Oh don't worry," The worker waved his hoof in the air in a brushing motion. " Us big bo-*hic*-ys are just having a ...'friendly discussion'-*hiccup*." The worker responded in a drunken slur.

The smug worker then looked up at the brutish guard. He gave the guard a very cocky expression as he examined the large scar across the guard's face. He then began to squint as if the boozed drone was far away.

"Did Princess Celestia's big butt collide with your face? Or did your mother -*Hic*- drop you on the floor when you were just a larva?" The smug worker started to laugh as his every breathe became a loud snort. The crowd surrounding them started to chatter and laugh as well.

"Idiot,-*hic*-Your mother is my mother." The guard retorted in a slur as he smacked the workers head. A audible hollow "clunk" sound reverberated throughout the hall. The crowd then became silent.

The worker cyan eyes then dilated in size. His smug expression was replaced with a large scowl as he stared at the smiling guard. The worker then snapped his  hind legs around and bucked at the guards stomach. His hooves came in contact with the drone's stomach with a loud resounding  thud.

A few milliseconds after the strike, another sound started to echo from the guards stomach. A sound that resembling a loud grumble and a low pitched hum.

*Schlllluurrkk* *BUUUUUURRRRRRPPPP* *Cough-cough*

The loud burp echoed throughout the great hall, all of the other changelings minding their own business started to eye the black crowd.

A small voice from the back of the hall said audibly, "Did someone just die?"

The wide eyed worker ignored the comment and looked at the unharmed drone.

The drone responded in a bellowing voice. "Nope, but one is just about to." He gave a fiery glare as the worker stood in awe.

"Phillip...I think you should back away." A drowsy voice whispered from the crowd.

Then unexpectedly, another of the worker's colleagues threw a cider mug at the guards head. The guard grunted loudly as the splash of cider; he rose his hoof up trying to wipe the cider from his eyes. Once he regained visibility he saw that the small group of drunken workers were in mid-air, charging at him. His eyes widened; he squealed a feminine scream as he was tackled down by ten drunk workers.

The guards helmet flew off as he was tackled, hitting a nearby cider hound and splashing his drink all over another worker.

"Heyyyy! You spilt mah drink you loser!" The cider hound yelled unintelligibly as he hoof punched a random bystander in the snout. A huge brawl then broke out amongst the crowd.

Some of the guard's standing by were laughing hysterically as the others were brawling with other drunken changelings, many of whom weren't apart of the brawl. The black swarm of drunken brawlers soon spread amongst the farthest corners of the hall. Mugs, helmets, random chunks of food such as bread and cheese flew about as the large swarm of black were trading kicks and punches. Few other changelings hid under the tables with wooden plates held over their heads, hoping not to be pelted by the wall of flying objects.

***************

Loud yelping, kicking, shoving, crashing of objects, and foul language eminated from the other side of the Great hall door as the two guards: Pax and Bruscillas, stood at their post.

"Should we go in and help?" Asked Pax, the expression of worry traced on his eyes.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure they're fine." Bruscillas reassured in ignorance.

"But what if the cerebrates find out that we didn't help quell the riot?" Pax said in an even more worrisome tone.

"They won't." Bruscillas said cheerily as he rose his hoof near his chin.

"What makes you say th- *Thwack!*

"Aagh! What was th- Why did you do that!?" Yelled Pax as he held his puffed up left cheek.

"If they see injuries on us, it will make us seem as if we were in the brawl. Then we'll tell them that we attempted to quell the fight." Bruscillas said informatively. "Okay, now you do me."  He said as he edged his cheek forward and his eyes clenched.

Pax gave a mischievous smile as he turned around.

*Clonk*

" Augh! My head, why does it burn!-Stupid! You're supposed to hit me, Not kick me!!" Bruscillus yelped as he covered his forehead with his two hooves.

Pax couldn't stop laughing as he saw the two horse shoe shaped bruises on his friend's forehead. The two prints made a cartoonish imprint over his eyebrows. To add insult to injury, his friends puffed up eyebrows made him look as if he were a prehistoric cave-pony.

Bruscillas then smacked Pax in the back of the head very hard. Automatically reacting, Pax smacked back. A few seconds later they engaged in a aggressive slapping contest.

***************

5 minutes later, Pax and Bruscillas joined the brawl, objects were still flying, an airborne changeling flew across the room after being kicked by a guard. Other changelings were dueling each other with cider mugs, using them as swords as they drank from another in the other hoof. A random drunkard in the rafters above was hit in the head by a cheese wheel, causing it to yodel while it descended back to earth before crashing into a table.

A loud titanic voice shot out from the great hall entrance way.

"Stop!" The Queen shouted in the royal voice.

The brawling crowd stopped instantly, keeping their fighting poses as they stared at the angered Queen.

The Queen's brow twitching eyes scanned through the room; all of the changeling were frozen from fear of what was to come.

The Queen's face was nearly scarlet from anger. She then asked in a very loud and agitated tone, "Who are the heathens that started this!"

The crowd instantly pointed directly to two changelings in the middle of the room, Phillip and the brute drone. The brute had Phillip over his bruised head ready to throw across the room. The drone then carelessly dropped the changeling and both quickly bowed as low as they could towards the Queen. Phillip could barely see where the Queen was due to his two black eyes.

The Queen calmed down by then, walking slowly towards the two with a slightly calm smile on her face. Other changelings frantically scurrying away as the Queen walked nearby.

She stood directly in-front of the two frightened changeling while crushing a metal mug under her hoof. Both were shaking in fear and their eyes clenched preparing for the worst.

"Do you know what happens to minions that disturb my beauty sleep?" She said in a uncomfortably friendly voice as she lowered her head downwards, only stopping a foot away from the two pale changelings.

"N-n-n-no" Stuttered Phillip, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"No? How about you drone?" She said in a overly friendly voice as she turned her head towards the sweating guard, his bleeding nose bowed against the cold stone floor.

"I-uh-Y-you -pu-put them....- I-I don't know." The words were knotted in the drones throat. He knew very VERY well where she puts insubordinates and miscreants.

"Oh, I'm very sure you do." She whispered softly to the drone. His body then started to shake uncontrollably, rattling his armor like a bag of scrap metal.

"Say it." She said in a monotone.

"Y-y-you put them i-in the c-c-c-c..." The drone struggled, his eyes were at the verge of tears, knowing his cruel fate to come.

"Say it!" The Queen shouted in-front of his face. The guard's eyes clenched even harder as he forced the last words.

"T-the C-c-catacombs!" His voice cracked as tears flowed from his bright teal eyes.

"Now," The Queen turned to the frozen pale worker, his body locked up in anxiety and fear.

"How long would you like to stay there for?" She said in a friendly voice. She obviously wanted to play with her ''soon to be banished" subjects.

The changeling attempted to speak, but only a whimper came out of him.

The Queen's ear closed in towards the small worker's mouth.

"What was that dear? I didn't quite catch that..." She said with a cocked brow.

The changeling attempted to speak again, only to fail as a quieter whimper escaped his nostrils.

" 'Gasp!?' Two months you say?" The Queen acted out in her cruel comedy. "Oh tsk, tsk, tsk my dears. Are you sure you want it to be that long?" She cooed in a fake worried tone to her two subjects.

Both frozen and pale with pools of tears around their heads. Phillip was then in the fetal position as the brute was covering his head with his hooves.

The Queen sighed and returned to her normal self, knowing that her two play things were now paralyzed. "Take them to the catacombs..." She said in a cruel monotone voice.

Two praetorians then walked pass the Queen and dragged the two paralyzed changelings down to the lower levels of the castle.

The great hall was silent, changelings were looking at each other while others were staring at the spot of what once their two friends were cowering on.

The Queen then gazed upon the other changelings, challenging any of those whom dared look her in the eye.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you." She said loudly as she walked out of the great hall.

The bruised up changelings then silently walked out of the great hall, a few others staying to clean the mess.

***************

"By the..." said Pax in his sorrowful stupor, failing to say Queen's name. He and Bruscillas were both leaving the Great Hall.

"Was that Braxton?" Asked Bruscillas in a surprised manner, his eyes staring at the floor as they walked towards the large theatre room entrance.

"Yes, it was." Pax said slowly as he rose his mug to his face.

A silence dominated the hall as head weak changelings slowly walked towards the living quarters and prepared for the play.

"Don't worry Pax, you know that Braxton will make it through. He always has before." Attempting to lift his partner's spirits.

"I really hope you're right Bruscillas." Pax spoke as he looked down into his mug.

"Now come on, cheer up. Hopefully the play will lift your spirits." Bruscillas said as he put his foreleg around the stressed drone's neck.

It was evening by then. The play was beginning to start as the two entered the theatre room.

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P.S. Any better names other than "Phillip?" Please post a suggestion.