Changelings of Harmony

Chapters

Change of View
Old friends, New bodies
Hivecoming
Point of no return
Now the old Queen is dead long live the Queens
Day of Mourning
Ichor is Thicker Than Water
Hiveschooling
Sleepover Troubles
Actions and Consequences
Cost of the Crown
At the end of one world, another world begins...
Unity and Reunions

Change of View

It was a quiet day around Canterlot and everything seemed normal, actually, it seemed too normal. In the time since Tirek's defeat, there haven't been any monsters trying to destroy the royal town, Ponyville, or even the Crystal Kingdom so the Elements of Harmony really didn't have that much exciting stuff to do anymore. It seemed like Equestria was finally going to be in a time of peace, so the Elements decided to take a day to spend it with Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armour. Even Twilight's and Shining's parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, as well as every member of each Element's family were there and they were all engaging in nothing more then small chat while taking a break for lunch. Halfway through, their conversations were interrupted by a flash of green fire that chilled them to the bone, and standing before them was Queen Chrysalis, making them take a defensive stance. "You got some nerve showing up here..." Luna and Celestia said with a growl.

"Not to mention what you did to me and my wife..." Shining said getting in the front of the group and his horn glowing a deep blue as he readied his part of the love bomb spell used to beat her at his wedding.

"Ready to kick her flank again girls?" Twilight asked her friends as their Elements showed up on them and they prepared to use the same stone spell that was once used on Discord.

Chrysalis then did something that made them pause, she got down in a bow. "Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, I actually come to you in peace this time. I swear not only on the First Queen of the Changelings but also your parents' names that I just want to talk..." She said while not breaking her bow but they all noticed something off about her tone, it was drier and raspier than normal with a bit of a cough behind it.

"Why should we believe that?" Cadance asked clearly still not convinced, mentally preparing to do her half of the love bomb.

"Because she is telling the truth everypony..." Applejack said causing the others to stare at her, briefly considering that she had been replaced with a changeling but that was thrown due to all the conversations about her life as a little foal mear moments ago.

"Fine...we'll listen...but it better be quick and to the point." Celestia said as the others dropped their defenses slightly but still remained apprehensive.

"Thank you all..." Chrysalis said before getting in a violent coughing fit, and she could actually feel pity start to roll off in waves from the ponies. "Now the reason I came to speak is-"

"You're dying aren't you Queen Chrysalis.." Fluttershy said interrupting and speaking up in a soft, but firm, tone that made all eyes fall on her and the room fell dead silent, Chrysalis sharing the others' look of surprise.

"That is correct Fluttershy...I am.." She said finally gathering her words back up. "Although I am not surprised you knew considering the fact you saved the life of one of my drones, for that, even in death, I will be forever thankful. As a return of gratitude, since then any of your animal friends that have come near the hive, I have made sure they got back to you safely, with corporal punishment being given to any idiot that dares to think of it as their next meal." She took a few steps forward and a piece of her chitin fell to the floor, hamming home her claim as a drone appeared out of nowhere next to Fluttershy, making her eep in shock but she recognized it as the drone she saved so she started petting its head.

"If you are dying then why did you come here, seek forgiveness?" Scootaloo asked breaking the silence.

"Yes and no," the Changeling Queen softly said. "as Fluttershy, and I assume the rest of you know, when a queen bee dies so does the hive. Changelings are no different, exact same principle, as long as we have an heir then the hive will continue to flourish. As for the process, it takes love, a lot of it and a special kind that can only be found during Royal weddings to make it. As you all know...I was defeated..."

"So by stopping you...we doomed your hive..." Pinkie Pie said as her mane and tail deflated slightly.

"Indeed, there are other queens besides me, truth be told I am the nicest, so once I die Equestria should go on high alart. However there is one way to avoid that scenerio, it's an ancient spell invented by the First Queen herself, it is called the Blossomer Spell. Stupid name but the First Queen was obsessed with flowers, but anyways it is target specific and it changes the target into a Queen Changeling. I want to use it on you, the Elements of Harmony, to ensure that my hive goes further than I ever dreamed possible. Not to mention the added bonus of the fact if I use it on you 6, which will piss off the other queens but I don't give a flying buck at this point since I hated them all anyway, you could form diplomatic relations with the Equestria elites on the behalf of both species." The Queen said sitting down between Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, Rarity giving up her seat to ease the pain on Chrysalis' fetlocks.

"That...that actually makes a lot of sense..." Luna said stunned. "you really put a lot of time into this sales pitch haven't you?"

"I don't have much time left Luna, I had to use it wisely." Chrysalis pointed out which consumed Luna in a wave of guilt that silenced the navy blue mare.

"Let's do it..." The one that said it was the one they least expected, it was Twilight. Chrysalis could not believe her ears as the youngest Alicorn spoke. "We owe it to her for not allowing her to properly get an heir, not to mention the benefits she stated were spot on. Besides, we could always put up a disguise of our...*current*...selves while in public. I don't think that our families would disown us for making this sacrifice.."

"Absolutely not," Prince Blueblood stated. "I think I am speaking for us all when I say whether you are a pony or changeling you will all still be you, just a different species. It is the best course of action the good of ponykind."

"And the good of the hive..." Chrysalis nearly dropped dead right then and there when it was none other than Princess Cadance that spoke it., while at the same time raising her glass of cider in respect. "You are forgiven for what you did to me and Shiny because of the circumstances, plus it is not healthy to hold grudges. As the Princess of Love, and on the behalf of the Crystal Empire, I formally apologize for what we robbed you of and extend an open hoof to the future Queens of the Badlands Changelings!"

"Guess we got no choice in the matter now..." Each of the Mane 6 besides Twilight, who was frozen in shock, said while helping Twi to the other side of the room to give Chrysalis some room to cast the spell.

"Thank you Princess Mi Amour Cadenza." Chrysalis said with a small courtesy bow before facing the Mane 6, with a recovered Twilight standing at the front. "Close your eyes my little heirs." They did as were told as Chrysalis casted the spell, none of them seeing the cringe on Celestia's muzzle at the changeling's little jab.

Author's Note

Some random hellspawn of an idea that came to mind...hope you stay along for the ride

Old friends, New bodies

The whole group stared in shock as the spell finished and the Mane 6 opened their eyes. Where there had been 6 ponies not even a minute ago, now stood 6 changelings but they looked different than any other changeling they had come across before.

As a matter of fact, the only way you could tell they were changelings were by the wings on their backs, the holes in their chitin, and the fangs in their mouths. Otherwise, they looked exactly the same except the size difference and the fact their horns were crooked and razor sharp. Their horns were the same color as their chitin, which stayed the same color as their coats, their manes and tails looked the same if you overlooked the holes, and they even still had their cutie marks.

"Well this is unexpected.." Rarity remarked. "Why do we still look like our pony selves instead of like you? Not to mention we still got our cutie marks..."

"Simple, because you were not born changelings and your cutie marks, like your respective Elements, are part of you..your souls...you will not lose them because that means losing your soul." Chrysalis finished as the 6 new queens started rubbing their foreheads as a massive headache hit them. "And that is the Hive Mind you are hearing..." She audibly said while chuckling. "ALL DRONES BACK OFF WHILE THEY ADJUST!" She ordered in the mindscape, the 6 new queens could hear her and their headaches eased as the drones reluctantly backed off.

"It hurt, but it also felt...nice...and...loving..." Fluttershy said confused while looking to Chrysalis for an answer.

"You just felt the warm embrace of every changeling in our hive, they accept and love you as their queens Queen Fluttershy. They have unquestionable loyalty, something Queen Dash can tell is true, and they will do anything including sacrificing themselves to protect you."

"I indeed could tell." Rainbow nodded as her Elemental gem glowed brightly on her necklace.

"Normally I would throw a party but considering your health..." Pinkie softly said to Chrysalis. "I am not going to out of respect."

"No Queen Pinkamena..." The group, especially Mr. and Mrs. Pie, froze at Chrysalis calling Pinkie her full first name but Pinkie looked unphased. "Could include celebrating my life into it, would be an honor to come to a party hosted by you as I've done in the past so many times under a disguise."

"...alright..." Pinkie said before returning to her normal self. "I got SSSSOOOO much to plan. Say, what do changelings eat besides emotions?"

Chrysalis deadpanned before showing her fangs. "We are omnivores Pinkie...those fangs aren't just for an intimidation factor, we eat meat on occasions. They also are packed with a powerful nonlethal venom that could paralyze anything."

"Even Alicorns..." Cadance said knowing from experience but everypony was feeling queasy at the thought of eating meat, especially Fluttershy.

"You'll get used to it...none of you have a choice since that is part of the recognition ceremony...but after that time it is entirely up to you if you eat it or not."

"We're used to it.." Rainbow and Pinkie said with a shrug making jaws, including Chrysalis', drop around the room. "Good flavor but get horrible indigestion afterwards." Rainbow added with a shudder.

"Now I can cook chicken with no consequences." Pinkie beamed with a small bounce as Fluttershy promptly fainted and the Princesses teleported bags in for everypony to throw up into.

"Well in that case you can cook for the whole hive..." Chrysalis said once things, and stomachs, settled down.

"Can they make ponies into changelings?" Scootaloo asked in pure curiosity as Fluttershy woke up still a little green.

The oldest Queen blinked. "Actually...yeah...but only on 2 situations. One is the spell I just used, the other being if the pony in question is willing to become one with the hive. We call the latter The Joining and it is automatic you are made a drone but there are two possible outcomes. If the pony's willpower is strong, they will keep all their memories and have a little more freedom than a typical drone. The other outcome is they lose their memories completely, a mindless servent to the Queen or in this case Queens. Be warned, once you are a changeling you are one for life, it is the point of no return."

"I'm willing..." Each Cutie Mark Crusader said in unison before giving a bow. "It will be an honor to serve our sisters..."

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity didn't know what to think at the gesture. "Come on now Sugarcubes, think ya' actin' a bit hasty? We've been queens less than 10 minutes but you are swearing your loyalty to us already."

"Applejack..." Rainbow softly said while pointing to her gem, which once the drones backed off in the Hive Mind quit shining but now it was glowing again. "They're serious..."

"Question is...are your wills strong enough darlings?" Rarity asked in a calm tone.

"We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders Queen Rarity la'Auora Belle." Sweetie Belle stated. "Everypony and every Changeling here knows about how hard we tried to get our cutie marks. No matter how big or small the task was, even if it ended in failure, we still tried it anyway. Despite never succeeding, we still never lost hope.

The three older sisters gave each other, then their families, a look before shaking their heads in silent agreement. "Then your request is granted, Queen Chrysalis will show us how to preform it if she agrees, but don't you EVER call me by my full name again, are we clear Sweetie Belle?" Rarity sternly said but Chrysalis had already told them in the Hive Mind how to do it while the conversation was taking place, using it as an excuse to finally put a leash on the three over eager fillies.

"Yes sister..my Queen..." She bowed again as she trotted off, each changeling could feel, and absorbed, the waves of happiness. They then saw the one thing they could not believe, a heart formed over Cadance after kissing Shining, it then split into 7 equal pieces, each piece floating to the Queens.

"Even me?" Chrysalis asking while looking at the fragment.

"Yes, as an offering of peace, and an apology your race will hopefully accept." When the 6 new queens absorbed the love, they were knocked off their hooves by feeling the warming sensation for the first time.

"That is true love." Chrysalis commented as she regained a little strength.

"I hate to cut this short but me and Lulu have things to do...got to work on a treaty now between our species. They then stood to full height, along with Shining, Blueblood, and Cadance, and bowed before them. "Changelings of Harmony, it was our honor to host you." The 5 said in unison.

"Arise...but was that really nessessary?" Twilight asked confused.

"Indeed," Blueblood nodded. "as Queens you all now outrank us."

"Wow..." Was all the Elements could say as they said their goodbyes, with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom joining them in the next room.

"Now girls, let's go home, for your subjects..." She then turned to the CMC, "your new brothers and sisters..await you." With a flash of green magic coming from all 7 horns, fueled only on instinct, the group was then gone.

Hivecoming

Teleporting to the Hive at such a long range nearly wiped out Chrysalis the first time she preformed it just to get to Canterlot. She was greatful that her heirs' instincts told them to assist her in the teleportation spell this time around and a filly-second later they were at the entrance of the Hive. "Welcome fellow changelings and changelings-to-be, this is our home. I know it isn't much to look at but it does its job, we are safe here since not many creatures show up in these parts." Chrysalis spoke in a calm mother-like tone but she could feel the drones getting restless in the Hive Mind and she knew in her weakened state she would not be able to hold them off much longer. "Slowly come to them drones, any who overwhelm them will not like the consequences..." She added in the Hive Mind and in slow increments, more and more changelings came to thank, love, comfort, and even worship the new queens. At first the Changeling 6 were a little freaked out but they soon got used to the affection, and they all seemed to fully enjoy it as they started to actually, to their surprise, produce a tiny trickle of love for each changeling that came to them.

"You truly are queens..." Chrysalis said in amazement as the scene unfolded before her in the Hive Mind, even she could feel the love. "I think I made the right choice..."

"Too late if you did choose wrong anyway." Pinkie said outloud while she giggled before focusing on the Hive Mind again.

"Point noted..." Chrysalis grumbled to herself but three little hooves tapping on her front fetlocks snapped her back to attention.

"When do we become changelings?" Applebloom asked.

"Oh yes of course! That will be done after the tour my dear little drones, can't turn you without knowing where everything is now can we?" Chrysalis said as they started into the Hive, where they were physically welcomed by every changeling in the hive, each of them in a deep bow.

"Actually you can since our changeling senses will tell us where everything is at." Applebloom retorted. Chrysalis stopped in her tracks and mentally facehoofed.

"You know Applebloom... you raise a very very good point..." She said with a sigh before switching to the Hive Mind. "Why do I get the feeling this was a bad idea..."

"You aren't the only one..." Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow added. "They look small, but they are aggravating hooffulls, there is no telling what those three can do as changelings..."

"Like I explained at the castle," Chrysalis said extending the private chat to the other three queens. "They will be drones, and we should thank the First Mother for that since all you will have to do is order them to cool it if they get too out of hoof so to speak..."

"Good point.." Each of them stated in agreement as they walked into the nesting and birthing area that held the chrysalises. To each queen's surprise, the little drones-to-be had already managed to find three coviently empty pods and were laying in them.

"Well I'll be..." Chrysalis said as she forced a chuckle. "Queen Applejack, Queen Rarity, and Queen Rainbow Dash, will you three do the honors?"

They nodded. "It will be our pleasure Queen Chrysalis." They verbally said before turning to face the worker drones and ordered them to begin The Joining process. The first thing the drones did was seal up the pod and filled it to the brim with a liquid version of the green slime the Changeling 6 were all too familiar with before the pod hardened like a brick. The changelings could barely make out the form of the fillies inside, each in a deep comforting sleep. They stood there watching for about 5 minutes or so before Chrysalis motioned for them to head out the door.

"They will be converted in about 3 hours, so in the mean time-" She was about to finish her statement but the sound of pods cracking got her attention, but she shrugged it off as one of her own drones hatching.

"Um...my queens..." A worker stated to them in the Hive Mind, his tone filled with disbelief.

"Yes?" The 7 queens replied in the same manner.

"Turn around..." They did as they were told and their eyes widened in shock, the pods the CMC were in were already cracking and a tiny horn protruded from each. In the Hive Mind, they could feel the three's presence added to it. They all rushed over to the pods as they burst open, with three drones coming out and laying on the floor.

"Scootaloo, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle?" Their older sisters asked as the CMC finally managed to stand up and give a bow.

"Yes, my queens?" The three drones responded, but now was the moment of truth.

"How much of your pony life do you remember?" That was a mistake, as the three then started carrying on in great detail a bunch of their adventures and how they earned their cutie marks. Just like the Changeling 6, they too looked like their pony selves just with changeling features. "Welcome to the hive." The older sisters smiled before giving the little drones a hug.

"Say where's Queen Pinkie?" Sweetie Belle asked looking around and couldn't find the bright pink changeling anywhere.

"I'm cooking for the feast you silly drones." Pinkie responded. "Go wait in the dining area." The whole group then left out together with the drones resting on their sister's backs.

Point of no return

The group followed Chrysalis down deeper into the hive to join Pinkie and the rest of the nymphs and drones in the dining area. When they got there, there was a large selection to choose from. There were fruits, veggies, chicken, steak, and several other dishes, both pony and changeling, as well. There was even a platter of hayburgers set aside just for Fluttershy. "Chicken farm?" Rainbow asked taking her seat by Pinkie.

"Yep, and I still got plenty to lay eggs so I'm good, and I got enough cattle to keep the demand up as well so no worries. Thanks to AJ, I know how to keep them all heathy." Pinkie cheerfully replied.

"Not a problem Sugarcube." Applejack stated as they all began to eat. As custom, the queens got first selection and the other members of the hive got the rest. The first thing Fluttershy ate was her drumstick and small piece of sirloin just to get her mini nightmare over with before spending the rest of the meal eating veggies. The queens were full first due to the love and embrace they absorbed from their servents. "You know, I do have a question... how was Scoot, Sweetie, and Apple Bloom able to change so quick Chrysalis?" Twilight asked in an attempt to answer the question that had been on everyling's mind.

"To be perfectly honest Twi, not even I know since that was the fastest change I ever seen."

"My queens I do have a theory, everyling here feeds on love, perhaps the love and eagerness to serve their sisters accelerated the process. Keep in mind it is just a theory but it is the best one I have been able to come up with."

"That's a fact Jack." Evering just stared since Pinkie, who was now wearing a pair of glasses, a long grey beard, and sipping from a tea glass had called the drone that. What made the situation wierder was that the drone somehow was now in a pirate uniform, noling dared to question it because this was Pinkie Pie they were dealing with then resumed their meal in silence. About two hours later, they all headed outside, where several drones had prepared the area in front of the hive for the introductory ceremony. Sitting in the front row of chairs, much to the Changeling 6's surprise, was their families with Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. The sight of the royals wanted most of the hive to bail but Chrysalis reassured them nothing was gonna happen.

"I am surprised you all are here..." Rarity said when they reached the ponies.

"Do you honestly think we would miss this event?" Celestia said with a chuckle. "Twi gave me the heads up earlier after getting permission from Chrysalis."

"That is true." Chrysalis confirmed. "Now shall we begin so I can go rest?" The heirs walked up onto the stage after her. While they were facing the crowd, Chrysalis faced them with her hoof over her chest, with the others on the stage prompting to follow. "Repeat after me.." She cleared her throat due to a few coughs. "I..."

"I.." The 6 responded but Chrysalis nodded to each of them to say their names.

"Rainbow Spectra Dash, Element of Loyalty."

"Pinkamena Diane Pie, Element of Laughter."

"Applejack Apple, Element of Honesty."

"Fluttershy, Element of Kindness."

"Rarity la'Auora Belle, Element of Genorosity."

"Twilight Vermillion Sparkle, Element of Magic."

"Hereby do solomnly swear..." Chrysalis said speaking up.

"Hereby do solomnly swear.."

"To renounce my title as princess."

"To renounce my title as princess..."

"And take my place as Queen."

"And take my place as Queen..."

"as co-rulers of my hive."

"And I will do everything in my power."

"And I will do everything in my power..."

"To love and protect my loyal subjects."

"To love and protect my loyal subjects..."

"Just as they do for me."

"Just as they do for me..."

"May my enemies fear us."

"May my enemies fear us..."

"and allies welcome us."

"and allies welcome us..."

"I hereby ask."

"I hereby ask..."

"For the blessings of the First Mother." The Changeling took a small breath before repeating, Chrysalis knowing that there was no going back so she let it slide and hoped the First Mother did as well considering the circumstances.

"For the blessings of the First Mother..."

"To help guide my decisions."

"To help guide my decisions..."

"And if she is willing."

"And if she is willing..."

"Bless me with an heir if nessessary."

"Bless me with an heir if nessessary..."

"And when my time is over."

"And when my time is over..."

"May my deeds be enough."

"May my deeds be enough..."

"To get me into the Silver City."

"To get me into the Silver City..."

"May that Day of Mourning."

"May that Day of Mourning.."

"Bring comfort to all."

"Bring comfort to all..."

"Knowing I did my best."

"Knowing I did my best..."

"Not only for my species."

"Not only for my species..."

"But for the good of the Hive."

"But for the good of the Hive..."

"And may my death."

"And may my death.."

"Not be in vain."

"Not be in vain..."

"But instead celebrated."

"But instead celebrated..."

"For the Queen I now am."

"For the Queen I now am..."

"And for the sake of my Hive."

"And for the sake of my Hive..."

"May I live long and prosper."

Chrysalis then faced the crowd after dropping her hoof. "These 6 are my heirs, my co-queens until my death. The swearing in is done and is now set in stone and may the First Mother look after them all. This next part I am adding due to the special changelings they are." She then turned back to the six new rulers.

"For we are."

"For we are..."

"The Changelings of Harmony."

"And may my Element."

"And may my Element..."

"Carry me onward and forward."

"Carry me onward and forward..."

"As it has done in the past."

"As it has done in the past..." Chrysalis then nodded to each of them then the crowd, showing the ceremony was concluded but Princess Celestia stood up silencing anyling that was about to cheer.

"I have a special surprise for Queen Rainbow." The solar sister said with a small smile and bow.

"Arise, what is it Princess Celestia of Canterlot?"

"Look up." Rainbow did as she was told and her jaw nearly broke it dropped so quick. She watched as Soarin, Spitfire, and the rest of the Wonderbolts came and did a flyover before landing in front the stage, each of them bowing before Spitfire spoke up.

"On the behalf of me, Soarin, and the rest of the Wonderbolts, I hereby recognize Queen Rainbow Spectra Dash as the first changeling member of our ranks not only for her service and accomplishments she has done defending Equestria, but also for now doing the same for the Badlands Changelings. Do you accept our offer?"

The cyan queen could not believe her ears, standing there in silence for a few minutes before finally gathering enough wits to speak, but did so in a professional manor. "It would my pleasure Captain Spitfire to accept your offer."

"Good, figured you would, but it is our pleasure to have you accept our offer to join our ranks." With that the Wonderbolts saluted then took off.

And Rainbow promptly fainted.

Now the old Queen is dead long live the Queens

-4 days later, Canterlot-

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had called a special meeting of every one of their allied nation's delagates. Whereas a few felt neutral to changelings, a vast majority of them were strictly anti-changeling to the point any changeling found within their nation's borders were instantly sent to death row to rot. "Are you sure this was a good idea Tia?" Luna whispered to Celestia. "I got a bad feeling in my fetlocks about this..."

"Relax Lulu, what could possibly go wrong?" Celestia whispered back before returning her attention to the delagates.

Luna paled slightly. "A lot Tia...a lot..." She muttered to herself. "Holy bucking horseapples you just enacted Marephy's Law...I hope you know what you are doing..." Luna snapped back to attention when the delagate from the Griffin territory spoke.

"I don't even know why we are here, this is a waste of our time, changelings are nothing but vile monsters! Look what that demon of a Queen did to poor Princess Cadance."

Shining shuddered but controlled his temper to keep up the act until his sister and her co-queens arrived. "Indeed that is true, but everypony or in this case everyling, can change for the better. The prime example is Discord since Miss Fluttershy reformed him so let's give the Badlands Changeling Diplomats a chance. If he can change, why can't a changeling? Change is part of thier name afterall and the times are a Changeling." His last remark earned a few snickers and a few facehoofs with groans at the horrible pun, but Celestia and Luna got the hidden meaning of his last sentence.

"Prince Shining Armour is correct, and please no fighting due to the fact I've hardly slept in nearly a week." Celestia said rubbing her temple due to a mindgrain. It wasn't a lie either, before this mess she had been working on a few tax changes.

"If I may ask, where are there 6 empty seats when there is only one hive of changelings?" The Buffalo Chief spoke.

"You will see shortly, it would have been 7 but unfortunately one of the Queens is quite ill and me and my sister were informed she would not have survived the trip so she is staying at her hive to rest." Luna replied as a secretary peaked her head in the door.

"The Changeling Queens have arrived safely Princess Celestia.." The secretary softly said with a bow.

"Good, now send them in." Celestia said and the secretary quickly bowed and left. A few minutes later, the 6 Queens trotted in and the look on the other diplomats' faces were priceless, Luna wishing she had a camera to snap a pic.

"Princess Luna and Princess Celestia of Canterlot, it is our pleasure to attend this meeting in your wonderful city." Twilight said as they stopped in front of the table.

"The pleasure is ours to host you Changeling Queens of Harmony." Celestia and Luna replied with a small bow. "Now if you would please take your seats we can begin."

The six did as they were told, with Luna and Celestia making sure the 6 queens sat between them for protection. Needless to say, the other diplomats were not happy. "You two must be under changeling brain control or changelings yourselves if you believe that these are the real Elemental Bearers, the Elements would NEVER choose changelings to bear them!" The dragon diplomat said with a snarl.

"Good point, I need proof from one of you that truly are them otherwise I am going to have you arrested!" The Griffin diplomat practically yelled, making several guards outside the chambers quiver in fear.

"Renounce that threat or you are going to be court marshalled!" Celestia shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice, silencing the chambers.

"Now Celestia, if he wants proof, I will give it to him." Rainbow Dash said before staring right at the Griffin diplomat with her trademark smirk, now slightly more intimidating due to her fangs. "I don't know if she told you or not, but I beat your daughter Gilda in a hotdog eating contest the last time I saw her. Pinks made the hotdogs for us and do I really have to list every single threat she has made against my fellow queen? She hates Pinkie with every fiber of her being and when you go home tell her that if she wants a fight I will be waiting with an open inventation, SHE set the time and place and I Pinkie Promise you that she will not be flying straight after I get done with her..."

The poor Griffin sat there in shock as the others in the room jaws went slack. "Holy feathers...it is you Rainbow Dash...Yeah, Gilda did tell me about ya'll's little "contest", she totally underestimated how much you enjoyed meat despite being a pegasus. I have to ask, was that little threat nessessary?"

"Yes it was, I am warning you now that if she threatens or attempts to harm Pinks again, you will have to visit her in the hospital, end of debate on that topic." The venom in her tone was enough to make even Celestia gulp so she decided to take control over the meeting before things got too far out of hoof.

"Now since that proved that these are the Elemental Bearers, I can state the purpose of this meeting. Basically this was to show that the changelings are wanting to be allies with Equestria and form diplomatic relations with us." She then turned to Twilight. "Queen Twilight Vermillion Sparkle how is Queen Chrysalis doing?"

"Guess I got to get used to having my title in front of my name.." She muttered under her breath. "Unfortunately, Queen Chrysalis is not doing too good, she hasn't been outside the Hive since our swearing in ceremony."

"Give her our regards when you return to the Hive please."

Twilight simply nodded. "Just did through the Hive Mind, she says thank you for the well wishes."

"Anyways..." The Chief spoke. "How did you become changelings?" Everypony in the room did a collective facehoof as Twilight went into teacher mode and explained the process and everything that Chrysalis told them about it. "Impressive..." He said when she finally finished. "And just how are you all are adjusting?"

"Quite well sugarcube, we already have mastered changeling magic and have our abilities under control for the most part. It is like pullin' ah plow, do it once ya' never forgit." Applejack simply stated, her element gem glowing to show it was the truth.

"Yep, we all learned quicker than we thought we would so I threw a party to celebrate. It is al-" Pinkie cut herself off midsentence and her mane and tail went flat as her coat darkened. A noticible effect was seen in the others as well since they too fell silent and tears could be seen in their eyes.

"What's wrong?" The Griffin asked confused.

"Oh my..." Was all the Royal Sisters could say as they assumed the worse.

"Chryssy is dead..." Pinkamena spoke with a sniffle, a sudden heaviness being felt in the atmosphere.

"Sorry I guess?" The dragon said in an unsure tone, earning such a glare from Fluttershy that he froze to the point one would swear that the stone imprisonment spell had been used on him.

"Smoke will be lifted to the Great Creator for your queens' passing and your loss." The Chief said making the others crack a small smile.

"Thank you Chief for that kind jesture, now I hate to cut this discussion short but we have to get back to the Hive to prepare for the funeral..." Twilight said in a tone filled with sadness, the emotion every changeling linked in the Hive was feeling.

"Of course Queens, this council is suspended until otherwise instructed." Celestia said in dismissal before every leader gave the Queens comfort, which they gladly accepted and spread throughout the Hive Mind and teleported home to prepare for the funeral.

Day of Mourning

The normally vast and barren landscape of the Badlands had a different look to it on this Day of Mourning, hundreds of thousands of changelings had gathered to pay respect to the fallen queen and instead of the normal wind swept plains it was lightly raining thanks to Rainbow Dash getting some rain clouds. Whereas the Badlands Hive only had around 12,000 changelings in it, the others came from when the other queens brought a small faction of their own hives as a security detail. When they saw the Changeling 6, the other queens couldn't believe it but after proving they were themselves the funeral and wake proceeded as planned. Afterwards is when things got interesting. "So you fully renounced Equestrian law to join our species?" The senior queen, Queen Themis, asked as all the queens gathered in the throne room.

"Yes and no," Twilight answered. "whereas we gave up our lives of being ponies, we fully intend on establishing diplomatic relations with Equestria as well as several other nations."

"What benefit could those ponies possibly give?" Queen Saphron asked in a slightly bitter tone. "I know your judgement must be a little clouded Queen Twilight Sparkle, but your past has nothing to do with the future, in time you will come to see them as inferior to our grand species and will come to dispise them. Your own brother and aunt wiped out my own sister's invasion plans, granted she was an idiot even attempting that in the first place, but she was still family."

"You are dead wrong about what you said." Twilight spoke in a tone none of her friends had heard before, it was a little dark for her personality but they brushed it off as part of the species change. "The past DOES impact the future because if you don't learn from the past history will repeat itself. None of us will dispise anypony or see them as lower than us and they in fact have something to give us. If mine and my co-queens plans fall into motion perfectly then everyling will be able to coexist with ponies and other species peacefully. We as a race will be able to thrive and there will no longer be any need for love raids, so in the end there are no losers in the deal."

"And just why do you think there would be no need to do anymore love raids?" Another queen, Queen Glacial Wind, asked. She was named that at birth for a reason, the moment she hatched from her egg she summoned an icey breeze that froze the queen that had laid Glacial's egg, instantly making her the queen of her hive. Not only was she the youngest of them, not counting the Changeling 6, she was also the most feared.

"Interspecies relationships." Pinkie said with a small giggle, but the other queens balked at the idea.

"Your beliefs are tainting our species!" An enraged Queen Omenia exclaimed.

"AND WE WANTED NO PART OF THIS TO BEGIN WITH!" All chatter ceased as everyling froze in their chitin, Fluttershy was the one who yelled and judgeing by the look on the yellow schemed queen's face she was in a sour mood. "Everyling should be ashamed of themselves, me and my friends have not been changelings very long; but common sense, something that you all clearly lack, tells me that this is not the proper behavior for ANY changeling on a Day of Mourning. Just because we are the queens of our hives does NOT mean we are above them when it comes to rules and regulations. We are changelings just like our drones, only difference being we lay their eggs and they look up to us to protect and care for them like a mother would. Me and my co-queens made this decision to become Chrysalis' heirs out of the goodness of our hearts and because it was the right thing to do since we robbed her of the chance for her to have a true heir and all of you know it. I can't speak on the behalf of my friends since I don't know their personal ideal feelings, but I for one don't regret it a bit. Each of you should spend some time reflecting on your behavior here today and see where your actions were in the wrong and we shall settle this debate at the next Summit meeting."

"And what gives you the right to tell me what to do Queen Fluttershy? As the senior queen, you are stepping out of line by ord-" Queen Themis was stopped dead in her tracks as Fluttershy locked her in her stare.

"And you are forgetting something Queen Themis..." The other queens backed off as far as they could as Fluttershy decended from her throne and got muzzle-to-muzzle with Themis. "Despite your title, whenever you visit another queen's hive you abide to their rules. If they want you to leave you have to respect their wishes and leave, so I am going to ask this nicely...please gather your drones and leave the Badlands right now Queen Themis."

Themis didn't respond until Fluttershy dropped the stare, and even then she was slightly shaking. "As you wish Queen Fluttershy, but remember who I am when it comes time for the Summit, I could make your very existence a living Tartarus if I wanted to."

"But you won't because you would be breaking your very own Code of Conduct." Fluttershy said in her normal tone without skipping a beat and refusing to back down until Themis had left, at which point she returned to her throne.

"Not even I have been able to make Queen Themis quiver like that...that includes the time I raided her hive and sparred with her." Queen Glacial Wind said in awe. "I think you just took my place as next-in-line after Themis dies. Not only that, I want peace between our respective hives."

"If my friends say it is ok then we will, especially Twilight since she is the impromptu leader of us 6." Fluttershy said looking at her friends.

"Not when it comes to nogotiations, that is now your department Flutters." Twi said with a small nod. "I agree to the peace with Queen Glacial Wind's hive."

"Agreed." The other four Elemental Queens said in unison. Much to their surprise, by the time each queen had left, they each, minus Themis, had a peace treaty in place with the Badlands Hive.

"Well I think it is time to say Queen Themis is in trouble, and I think she knows it, she is now our sole problem "in house" so to speak." Rainbow said once the last visiting queen had left.

"I agree Rainbow, and that took a lot of guts Flutters doing what you did." Twilight commented.

"I was just defending our hive and drones." Flutters said with a side wing shrug. Meanwhile in a hive a good distance away, Queen Themis was in her throne room all by herself while sitting on her throne brooding, she had even ordered her drones to leave her alone. "So...it seems like I might have a contender for my throne...but no matter, I refuse to give up without a fight even if it kills me.." She then retired to her chambers to sleep off her worries.

Ichor is Thicker Than Water

-One Month Later-

The time since the Day of Mourning that was held for Queen Chrysalis, as well as the confrontation between Queens Fluttershy and Themis, passed by rather quick and soon it came time for the Queens Council to assemble. It truly was a good news-bad news situation, good news was Queen Glacial Wing was the host hive but the bad news was that Queen Themis was the leading Queen, just as she had said during the confrontation with Fluttershy and she wanted ichor to spill. There was only one thing on Themis' mind as the Council session started...revenge.

"As the Head Queen of the Council, I call this meeting into session!" Themis slammed her gavel down, making everyling jump but she didn't care. "First matter of business, the queens of the...Harmony Hive have something to say, Queen Twilight you have the floor."

Twilight stood and bowed. "Thank you Queen Themis for giving me the floor." Themis gave a disgruntled hiss and nod in recognition before Twilight continued. "I have some good news to report, the plan the Harmony Hive mentioned one month ago was a success during this prototype stage. Since our last encounter, me and my co-queens have had a select few drones mingle in with others of different species, there is an 87% acceptance rate and 62% have found a "life partner" as it were." There were a few scattered soft claps of hooves applauding this announcement, but to say that Themis was enraged was like judging Discord's power by his looks, in other words a vast understatement.

"HOW DARE YOU?!?!?" Themis boomed silencing the chamber and making a few of the razor sharp icicles hanging from the ceiling dangerously sway. " DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!? YOU HAVE MUDDLED, DEFILED, AND DISHONORED OUR PROUD SPECIES! Chrysalis made a mistake in choosing you six, for none of you have any clue what it truly means to be a changeling, let alone a queen. I hereby sentence you and your co-queens to have your titles removed, your drones split between the other queens, your hive and it's lands annaxed, and you six exiled to the furthest reaches of the Frozen North to spend the rest of your days as outcasts." Before she could slam the gavel, however, she was stopped by Queen Twilight.

"If you truly go through with that then you would be risking all out war! Keep in mind that my hive is extremely close allies with not only Equestria, but also the Crystal Empire. In addition, every queen here besides you has a treaty in place with the Harmony Hive, so in short you would also be declared rogue. I think you have let your title as the Head Queen go to your head because I have been studying not only changeling history, but also changeling law and I have got to say a Collective Democracy works better than the Diarchy that Equestria currently has in place. Considering every queen, excluding yourself, has agreed to form a Collective..."

Twilight purposely left the sentence hanging, and when Themis caught on to where Twilight was going with her statement her pupils widened in shock. "You are crazy, there hasn't been a Collective since the First Mother died, but of course since you have been "studying" you probably already knew that." Twilight nodding only irked Themis more as she continued her rant and jestured to the other queens as she spoke. "You are all making a very grave mistake if you go through with these fakelings' ideals and plans, the only way this will end is in destruction."

Fluttershy spoke up. "If we are fakelings then so are you!" Every queen froze, Themis included, and stared at her like she had two heads. "As has been stated before, me and my friends are now full-blooded Changeling Queens just as you are. It doesn't matter what walk of life we came from or how we were raised, what matters is the here and now; the past is the past so let it stay there and the future is a revolving door, always uncertain. The times are a changeling Queen Themis, the others here are and have been willing to accept, embrace, and strive towards our goal of a better tomorrow..." She then paused and sighed, her tone turning into a softness of a mother talking to a stubborn child but also showing compassion. "We don't want war...just peace..."

"And if something is not broke there is no need to fix it!" Themis countered with deep snarl, everyling had to duck under the table to keep from getting speared by a few falling icicles caused from the reverberations of the snarl.

Queen Saphron then joined the debate. "True, but even you have to admit most of the rules in the code are outdated, got example is that we no longer sacrifice the runt of each clutch to the First Mother, we train them to be foal infiltrators."

"And the code is more like a set of guidelines than actual rules." Pinkie, who was wearing a pirate hat that she had gotten from only-Celestia-knows-where, stated while leaning back in her seat. "So let's get down to business me hardies...fact of the matter is that you are being overthrown Themis and have an open invite to join the Collective if ye wish..."

Queen Themis stared blankly at the Party Queen but still stood steadfast in her mindset. "I will not, and you can go buck a cactus because that is the only action you will ever see in your life!"

Pinkamena's colors dulled and her mane and tail went flat, a deep anger ignited and she made sure Themis felt the change in outflow, which made the latter ill. "Only action I will ever see huh?...Well then, seems to me that you have no idea who you are dealing with..." The room seemed to darken as Pinkamena approached Themis, who was now shaking in her seat and putting out a great deal of fear. "I am Pinkamena Diane Pie...and your number was just placed on my list..." She then did a soft, dark chuckle. "and don't tell me you aren't scared because I can taste it." One breath in Themis' ear was all it took for the overthrown queen to hightail it back to her hive in a flash of fire and Pinkie returned to normal like nothing had happened.

Glacial Wing decided to step up. "Now that problem is out of the way...I elect Queen Fluttershy to be the new Head Queen, do any oppose?" When the chambers stayed silent Glacial nodded. "It is official then, Head Queen Fluttershy you have the floor."

Flutters got up and the others gave a small bow. "Umm...t-thanks and you all may rise. I have one simple order I want to give before I call this session to a close, each of you prepare for your drones for war because I fear that the problem with Queen Themis is far from resolved..." The others nodded and Fluttershy softly tapped the gavel, and it wasn't long before the queens dispersed, each confused by the order but they each could tell Fluttershy meant business. That night Themis' fear turned into bitter hatred as she slept, each dream more darker and gruesome than the last, which cumulated with her killing the Harmony Queens and reclaiming her throne in the last one she had before she awkoke. She woke up refreshed, feeling the best that she had felt in a long time. "The best way to kill a seed is take it out at the source...I now know how I am going to extract my revenge and noling is going to stop me when I execute my end game..."

Author's Note

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Hiveschooling

Ponyville was a busy town nowadays.

With Fluttershy now serving as the Head Queen, great strides had been made in teaching ponies more about changelings, as well as increase the relations between species. Shops had been set up where everypony could buy furniture made from shedded chitin, while trader drones buzzed around helping ponies with their tasks in exchange for positive emotions.

A whole expansion to the newly-built library was dedicated solely to changelings and their history, which included precious artifacts passed down over the generations and originated from the First Mother herself. The Ponyville schoolhouse had been expanded to accommodate the increased attendance, which gave the Cutie Mark Crusaders the perfect cover to keep from revealing they were now drones.

"Oh come on..." Scootaloo grumbled as she waited for the lunch bell to ring. "It is too nice of a day to be inside."

"Relax Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said putting a hoof on her friend, and hivesister's, wither. "The bell will ring any minute now and we can all go play. It is just the first day of school, so we got 179 more to go before we return home."

Apple Bloom joined in, but over the hivemind. ">Ah still think it is stupid we have to be disguised, wit' Queen Fluttershy makin' ponies more friendly towards lings<."

Fluttershy herself answered. >"That maybe the case Apple Bloom, but I rather be safe than sorry. Considering how much trouble you three have out of Diamond Tiara, this is actually a tactical bait trap. Her parents are leading a campaign to try and have the princesses keep Canterlot changeling free, all it will take is Diamond punching you or any of your hivemates then it will be set.”<

"What about the threat of war you talked about? Shouldn't we be training instead of coming to school?"< Scootaloo whined over the mindscape, but instantly shut up when she felt Fluttershy's glare directed at her. However, she could tell it was not an angry glare, but one of disappointment.

">No, you three are still young drones and not ready for the horrors of combat. Out of all of us, only Twilight has seen true battle, and she still carries the mental and emotional scars of what she saw in that alternate world with Sombra. Your safety and sanity means everything to me and my co-queens, especially your sisters. I am sure none of us, myself included, would want to know their reaction to your request. So, as much as you hate school Scootaloo, you need to put on your big mare bridle and deal with educational challenges first. After all, school is easier than combat, and I don't need my troops complaining about the training routine."<

Scootaloo lowered her head in resignation and shame. ">Understood...my queen..."<

Fluttershy sent a little love Scootaloo's way, making the drone perk up. >"Don't feel bad, and there is a more important reason I am having you, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, stay in town. I want you three to look after your younger siblings and keep them all safe...I am putting their very lives in your capable hooves, and I know deep down you will succeed. As far as Themis and her drones, I have my animal friends on round-the-clock lookout duty and none of her lot have showed themselves as of this time. I must be going, now you drones go and have a fun recess."<

Fluttershy went quiet in the hivemind as Scootaloo's freedom bell rang. She bolted out the door and set up a tug-of-war area, soon many of the classmates had joined in. Everything was fine until Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon wanted to "join in" on the fun.

"Ok listen up," Diamond Tiara's voice cut through the air like a thrown spearhead, silence the clamoring schoolfoals. "you blankflanks need to step aside and let true ponies show you how it is done." Diamond and Silver each grabbed an end and started pull back and forth. 25 minutes later Diamond pulled Silver into the mud. "As always, you are the Silver to me being gold and I always out class you, after all I am as flawless as diamonds."

Silver finally had enough. "You know what...I am starting to question why I am even friends with you..."

The silence was deafening, nopony nor ling knew how to process the statement that Silver Spoon had just said. The CMC, and most of the other schoolfoals, were scared of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. When you saw one you saw the other, and when one was sick the other made up the difference and then some.

As the first two at the school to earn their cutie marks, Diamond felt like her and Silver were better than the peasants they were forced to go to school with. Diamond saw Silver as her best friend, one who shared her ideals and dreams of power and fame, but Silver would always be inferior to her due to not getting her cutie mark until after she did. She felt like she "owned the school", and Silver's betrayal deeply hurt her, but anger showed stronger.

"Silver Spoon," Diamond said straining to keep her cool. "my most loyal and trusted underfoal, did you say what I thought you just did? I must be hearing things, I swear you just said that you are questioning our friendship. So after all this time and all that I have done for you, this is how you repay me... with betrayal."

"Look DT, I like all that you have done for me, but I think it is time I put my hoof down." Everypony's jaws dropped as Silver got right in Diamond's face, making everyone back off a few feet. "As much as you don't like blank flanks, you seem to forget you were once one yourself. I thought you would have us leave the Cutie Mark Crusaders alone after they finally earned theirs, but you still want us to bully them day in and day out, and I have had it! You may think you are as flawless as diamond, but you are more impure than ferrous."

Diamond shoved Silver back, making poor filly tumble into Scootaloo. Due to it being late summer, torches had been set up to try and keep the bugs down, and the tumbling fillies hit the pole one of them was sitting on. The torch swiveled and spun before falling and landing on Scootaloo's back, the heat from it causing her disguise to drop. All the fillies and colts gasped as Diamond waved a hoof in the drone's direction.

"Somepony get the bug spray!" Diamond shrieked as she flew up into the tree, an impressive feat for an Earth Pony. "Mrs. Cheerilee!!!!!!!"

"Yes Diamond Tiara?" Cheerilee asked as she trotted over and observed the scene, Sweetie Belle already working on mending a tear on one of Scootaloo's wings. "and what the hay happened here?!?! If you hurt Scootaloo or any of the other drones you just made without a doubt the biggest mistake of your life."

"T-there's more?!" Diamond stuttered as she slid down out of the tree. A wave of green fire flared through the school yard, and Diamond wanted to turn and run but she knew better. "Bugs! Dirty, vile bugs! Ewewewewewew! I am so above you all, for you are lower than ponies. I refuse to allow this to continue, my mom and dad are going to make sure this infestation will not persist or spread. IT is Silver Spoon's fault Scootaloo got hurt anyway, she got muzzle to muzzle with me so I shoved her out of it. The fact she fell back into Scootaloo is out of my hooves."

"Well that was a shot to the barrel..." Sweetie Belle grumbled as she finished patching up her hivesister's wing. "However, you lashed out in anger after Silver Spoon said she was questioning her friendship to you. She has been spending a lot of time with me, Scoots, and Apple Bloom in the treehouse to study and just hang out."

"No wonder she betrayed me, you three probably stuffed her in a pod and brainwashed her!" Diamond yelled, she was about to strike Sweetie Belle but Cheerilee caught her hoof.

"Mrs. Tiara!" Cheerliee's authoritve tone rung like the midnight toll of a church bell, echoing and reverberating in between the classmates and making them shiver. All of them, Diamond included, had not heard their teacher use such sharpness in her tone before. "Considering how you have acted, I have no choice but to punish you. Not only will you have afterschool detention for the next month, I will be having Queen Fluttershy give you a punishment as well. Each drone is like a foal to a queen, and since she sees herself as the CMC's aunt..."

Diamond gulped as she was lead away. " This is not over you pests!"

All everyone could do was shake their heads as Diamond Tiara was drug away by her mane. When the teacher and grounded student had went back inside Silver Spoon came over to check on Scootaloo. "Sorry about that, will you be alright Scoots?"

"I will be..." Scootaloo said wincing as she tried to move her bandaged wing. "My sister will fully patch me up, but Sweetie did a great job of fixing me up until after school. Think you can still come over for that slumber party this weekend like we had talked about doing?"

"I will be there even if I have to sneak out the house." Silver giggled. "My parents are satisfied I actually made true friends, I know you will not look down on me or try and use me for your own personal gain. Besides, that sleeping pod Apple Bloom made for me is cozy, and after a day like today I am looking forward to a good nights rest."

Author's Note

This was requested a few chapters ago in the comments section, and after the denseness of the last few chapters, I thought it would be good to break the tone with something light and relieving.

I am on Patreon, you can see what I have to offer here

Sleepover Troubles

The rest of the school day was uneventful for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Mrs. Cheerilee had given the students an extra thirty minutes to play while she was giving Diamond Tiara a scolding that was so severe even Tirek himself would have been left with rose colored cheeks. After the afternoon class was finished, and their hivebrothers and sisters went home, the trio headed to Sweet Apple Acres to finish their preparations for the events planned later in the evening.

“Sure we got everythin’?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked at all the things they had managed to do with their recently-expanded clubhouse. With help from their sisters, and Big Mac for ensuring the design work was stable and the trees could hold the weight, their hangout was now more like a tree fort than a clubhouse.

The original space now served as their “HQ”, with a proper podium and sitting arrangement that had their group logo emblazoned on them. Behind the podium was a map of the known world, modified to now include the changeling hives and their respective cities. A short trot up a set of stairs let to their “operations center”, which housed logs of every attempt they had made to get their cutie marks right down to the last detail. Of course, since they were now changelings, they could not get one themselves since they already had one before their transformation, but they still kept the logs just in case somepony came to them asking for advice on how to get one.

The wall that opened to the left of the log shelf, now on its fifth rendition after Pinkie broke the previous four, had a zip line that lead to a kitchenette room. The walls had been made flameproof, but there was an unspoken rule at only Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were to cook, a condition that Sweetie Belle acknowledged. That area was connected to a lounge room with ten sleeping pods just in case they invited some of their classmates, and a swinging bridge connected it back to the main room where the three close friends now stood.

“I may not be Queen Twilight but I do like keeping lists,” Scootaloo replied as she started checking off the items one by one. “Soda, snacks, games, a movie, sleeping pods… Yeah Apple Bloom everything is in order, now we just got to wait for Silver Spoon to come and we can all start the fun.”

Sweetie Belle, unlike her two companions in mischief and fun, was actually feeling nervous. “I got a bad feeling that I can’t seem to shake girls, and I know you both can tell just how nervous I am. Filthy Rich carries a lot of weight not only around Canterlot, but Equestria itself, and with him trying to kick all of us out plus a looming war has me rattled.”

“Weird,” Scootaloo said as she circled the marshmallow colored drone in front of her, looking at her in detail. “you don’t have scales and aren’t a lamia so where’s your rattle?”

The attempt at dry humor was justly answered, with Scootaloo recieving a double Gribs slap to the back of her head as Sweetie glared at her. “I could turn into one you know, but I would rather not face our Queen’s stare. That is, of course, if you would be willing to take the chance in my stead since it was your idea.”

All the color drained from Scootaloo’s chitin as she gulped. “No! I don’t want to be stuck cleaning out the collection pits, last time was so bad that I swore I would never get that punishment again.”

Apple Bloom tapped them both on the shoulder. “I really hate to interrupt, but I spot Silver Spoon headin’ this way, an’ it looks like somepony is coming with her.”

That got the other two crusaders’ attention. Since none of their hive siblings had elected to join them, and with most of their classmates out of town for the extended weekend, it really was supposed to just be the three of them and Silver Spoon. Once they looked out the door and to the base of the entrance way, their jaws dropped. There, matching Silver’s stride, was a very peeved Diamond Tiara carrying a small overnight bag on her back that was bundled with a sleeping bag that had a built in pillow.

“Hey girls!” Silver said in an almost-too-chipper tone. “Look who decided to join us for our festivities tonight.”

“More like forced…” Diamond said with venom in her tone, which nearly made the three drones nauseous. “It was ultimately decided that my punishment from your bu-“

All eyes feel on Diamond as she shut up mid sentence, looking a little ill herself. After a few minutes of easing breaths, she proceeded to continue. “As I was saying, Queen Fluttershy decided that my punishment was to join in on the sleepover and clean out the… collection pits? Everyday during summer vacation and on the weekends. I tried to compromise, but she said it was either that or I would be put through the “juvenile reformation program” or whatever that means.”

An ice cold sensation hit the crusaders, making them shudder just at the thought of the horrors their bully would have experienced. Each knew from their own, separate, Hive education that it was a way to effectively straighten out any who dared to oppose their queens’ authority. They knew a few who had went through the program, and from what they were told had deduced that they would be better off not causing as much trouble. Considering that Diamond Tiara was an Earth Pony and not a changeling, they did know if she would have gotten through the program intact. That alone made them feel sorry for her.

“Well, this is unexpected, but come on in Diamond.” Apple Bloom said as she and her hivesisters stepped back, allowing their guests to enter and get their things in order.

“Seems quite the upgrade from the last time I was in here.” Diamond said as she took in the renovations that had occurred since she and Babs kicked the same three crusaders out. “Could use a bit more upscale furniture, but it is still better than the dump it used to be.”

“It’s still ah work ‘n progress,” Apple Bloom said as she brought the group some sparkling apple juice. “Still gotta long way to go before we can say it’s finished.”

While the others started drinking Diamond just looked at her beverage, slowly swirling it with a doubtful expression. “There isn’t anything in this that will allow you to mind control me right?”

The drones, who briefly looked insulted, proceeded to bust out laughing at the question. Diamond was about to snap as her rage and frustration boiled over but Scootaloo managed to get herself together to answer. “You’ve been reading way too much foalfiction and anti-changeling propaganda Diamond. Yes, what Chrysalis did to the citizens of the Crystal Empire was wrong, but Princess Cadance herself forgave the queen before she passed away. The method she used was outlawed ages ago, but she was desperate and greedy and Shining suffered as a result. Every changeling, including the three in front of you, knows how to do it but refuse to use it unless it is a last resort. Besides, if it was laced then Silver would have already fallen under the spell.”

Diamond took this into consideration, and looking over to the unicorn she saw that Silver Spoon was silently sipping her juice as she listened to the conversation. “How do I know that she isn’t already under the spell?”

Silver Spoon used the opportunity that was given to her full advantage, giving Diamond a coy grin that made the heir to Rich Industries shiver. “Really DT? Perhaps I should tell them about a certain embarrassing moment that occurred last summer.”

“You wouldn’t!” Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo felt a sudden shift in Diamond’s emotions. Instead of uncertainty and anger were squashed by a bomb cyclone of pure fear that made their tormentor of countless days shake in place as she struggled to speak. “Y-you gave me your word that you wouldn’t tell another pony!”

“You said it yourself DT, they are not ponies, they’re nothing but bugs so I wouldn’t be breaking the pact.” Silver Spoon replied, delivering the knockout blow. “Not only that, mom always told me that one’s word was as strong as their bond, and you have done nothing but take advantage of me for years. So here is what I suggest, you sit there like a good mare and let them clarify every single point that you are wrong about. Keep an open mind while doing so, we clear?”

Diamond did not say a word, instead just nodding as Scootaloo gave her a very detailed explanation as Sweetie started to pass out the snacks. The lesson was not done in vain, for there were a few aspects that even Silver Spoon did not know that she made sure to remember, About an hour later, Scootaloo finished, but Diamond Tiara remained silent and deep in thought. Everything that her parents had told her was completely false, and the new information made her start to question several life choices.

“As you see Diamond,” Scootaloo said as she finished her lecture. “They say “the grass is always greener”, but in fact it is not. The surface may look better, but it is what hides behind it that is the final factor. I have read several of your parents’ publications, can’t help but since they are all over Equestria’s newsstands, and each is just based on Queen Chrysalis. You should consider yourself lucky, because while cleaning the collection pools is a dirty job, it will give you valuable insight as to how the Elemental Hive actually operates.”

Diamond nodded in agreement, finding no fault in Scootaloo’s reasoning. “I have another question, I won’t be turned into a changeling myself right?”

“Not unless you want it Diamond,” Scootaloo’s reply was soft spoken, successfully easing Diamond’s nerves. “forced transformations are frowned upon and harshly punished. I suggest we drop this matter all together, we are here for a sleepover so let the games begin! Let’s start with a game of truth or dare to warm up.”

The others nodded in agreement, and decided for Diamond to go first as an ice breaker. “Hmmm… Scootaloo, truth or dare?”

“Dare,” The orange and purple drone said with a smirk. “Nopony or ling has ever done something that resulted in me refusing.”

“Quite bold and prideful Scootaloo,” Diamond said with a gleam in her eyes. “I dare you to go to mommy and daddy’s house and scare them as Chrysalis.”

Scootaloo, and every single ling in the hivemind, feel silent at the dare. Scootaloo didn’t need a lecture from her queens to know just how disrespectful it was, not only to Diamond’s parents, but also to the deceased changeling that was credited with the current vision of the changeling race.

“I-I can’t do that Diamond…” Scootaloo said with her pride defeated. “I will do anything you ask as punishment, but you should never disrespect those that have passed over, and that crosses a line I refuse to do.”

“Fine then, you are to be my personal maid for the next month.” Diamond’s tone was absolute, and Scootaloo looked at the floor and gave a nod of acceptance. “Good, now it is your go maid.”

“Silver Spoon, truth or dare?” Scootaloo asked in a quiet voice.

“Truth.” Silver replied feeling bad for her friend, putting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder.

Scootaloo felt a little better at the jesture, giving a small hug before continuing. “Is it true that you were responsible for the anonymous truce between the nobles and queens by having your parents involved?”

Silver Spoon, to Diamond’s absolute shock, nodded. “It was my idea, I presented the idea to them after I became friends you three. They were skeptical at first, just as speciest as everypony else used to be, then I brought you home for that study session and they saw just how right I was. Now look what that tiny bit of hope, that was as small as a mustard seed, has grown into.”

Before Silver Spoon could ask her question, two masked pegasi came in and scooped them into thick, magically bound bags. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom tried their best to charge up a spell, but their efforts were futile.

“Quit squirming pests,” One of the pegasi said in a guff, Stalliongrad accent as he and his partner flew off into the night. “or else we will have to squash you earlier than what the boss wants. By the way, good luck contacting your precious queens, these bags as specially built to block any changeling hivemind connections, so sit tight and enjoy the ride.”

Both pegasi chuckled as they flew off into the night. While they were celebrating, the fillies were fearing for their lives, unsure of what awaited them upon landing.

Author's Note

This was not the intended direction I wanted to go, but gotta love cliffhangers right? :twilightsheepish:

As always, thanks to my editor Penalt for all his hard work.

You can see what I offer on Patreon here.

Actions and Consequences

Far past the Crystal Empire, and across the Lunar Sea, a lone spire jutted out of the ravaging waves like a twisted horn. The remnant of a massive supervolcano, the spire was the home of a relatively secret operation. Filthy Rich, being the business pony that he was, saw opportunity in the form of volcanic silica that resided deeper in the formation. Buying the spire for, in Filthy's own opinion, relatively cheap, he hired the services of diamond dogs to help dig the silica out.

That endeavor was short lived. Due to the harsh conditions and isolation, that crew quit after less than a month, and set off the cycle of hiring and firing that seemed to make his gamble not worth the effort. Then, right as Filthy was about to give up, to his absolute joy two pegasi offered to take the job at seventy-five percent wage. The idea of cutting labor costs, and lowering his bottom line, proved too great and hired them on the spot with no questions asked. Clients often asked how Filthy came across the silica, but he kept both the operation, and his most valuable associates, a secret.

He loved the two hard-working ponies, praising them to the point that whenever they asked for extra supplies he gladly provided them, and now the silica trade was making him richer than he had ever dreamed. It was now those two stallions, protected under cloaks that shielded them from the harsh environment, returned to the spire with sacks on their backs.

Sacks that would not quit shuddering.

“Oh, will you knock it off?” The larger stallion scowled, the pair landing at the entrance to the silica mine. “Once we are down deep enough it will be nice and warm, so stay still until we get there or else.”

The beings in the sacks did as told, the stallion smirking to himself as the group descended into the depths of the spire, the temperature in the area slowly heating up from a mix of torches, machinery, and heating runes that had been placed along the length of the mined out tunnel. Roughly fifteen minutes after entering, they reached their destination, and dumped the contents of the sacks onto the polished quartz floor.

“Ow!” Scootaloo said, her and her friends stretching to get all the kinks out of their bodies. “Did you really have to be so rough?”

“Oh please,” The larger stallion said, a deep chuckle escaping his lips. “That was tame compared to what we could have done. Do any of you recognize where you are?”

“I do,” Diamond said, surprising the other fillies. “But only because of the fact I recognize the two of you. You're Coal Hammer and Iron Anvil, the brothers that daddy hired to mine out the spire. I remember you two coming to the house several times for various reasons, and your cutie marks are unmistakable.”

“Correct, but at the same time, not.” Coal Hammer said, smirking as deep green flames erupted around the two adults. Where Coal Hammer once stood, a changeling with thick, dark brown chitin and an onyx-colored head fin and tail was now in his place. Beside him, and standing a few inches shorter, was another drone. The smaller drone had a more reddish-brown color to his chitin, but had several deep cuts at sharp angles that looked like plates connected over his whole body. His fin, tail, and the gaps in the plates were all the same burnt-orange. Allowing a moment for the fillies to take in their actual forms, the taller drone cleared his throat. “My name is Fault Line.”

“Mine is Subduction,” The smaller adult said, giving a slight bow. “We’re clutch brothers.”

“And we're…” The duo said in unison, leaning forward to lock the fillies in obsidian chains, with the Crusaders getting horn and wing binders in addition to the chains as Fault Line spoke. “NOT your fae godlings.”

“Really…” Silver Spoon said, a flat monotone in her voice as she stared at the pair in disbelief. “So, if you're so big and bad for foalnapping fillies, why didn't you just dump us in the heart of the Frozen North or strand us in the Lunar Ocean?”

“That would be going against our Queen's wishes,” Fault Line said, sitting across from the chained fillies. “She specifically ordered us to keep all of you alive, for you're a key part in her grand plan to restore our race to its former glory.”

“I don’t know brother,” Subduction said, monitoring the various stages for the mining equipment as Fault Line had talked to Silver Spoon. “Perhaps the bindings and such are a tad much. They are young, so their magic strength is far less than ours.”

“As long as those bindings are in place, their hive mind is blocked.” Fault Line said, a slight hint of frustration creeping into his tone. “Thus, they can't communicate with their sisters, which will cause utter chaos as they tear Equestria apart looking for them. Considering their importance to Queen Fluttershy's hive, there is no doubt a Collective Council will be summoned.”

“Which would allow Queen Themis to swoop in uninvited, gloat about how the pony way is foolish, and cause the Collective to shatter. Did I get that part right?” Sweetie said, causing the two adult drones to stare at her with their mouths agape. “I'm going to take that as a yes, and why Diamond and Silver are here is because you wanted no witnesses to our foalnapping, and because of Filthy Rich's ties to the anti-changeling movement.”

“Two for two, impressive,” Subduction said, coming out of his stupor. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”

“Not since my conversion,” Sweetie said, allowing a bit of pride to show. “Besides, villains all have the same basic scheme, but it always fails due to some sort of technical difficulty that they failed to take into account during their planning. Our sisters have to deal with it at least once a year, it really gets repetitive to the point you can practically predict it.”

“Also,” Silver said, nodding to her friends. “Good will always triumph over evil.”

“Especially when it is evil changelings.” Diamond said, but instantly regretted it due to the malicious look the older drones were giving her. “What?”

“Chrysalis, as pathetic of a queen as she was, defeated your sisters multiple times.” Fault Line said, moving towards Diamond. The Earth Pony filly did her best to keep space between her and the advancing drone, but that plan was stopped as she was snagged in his magic. “I can feel your fear filly, question is, are you scared of me or the changeling race in general? My brother and I have been scouting the Crusaders since our queen assigned us, so we saw and heard your little outburst on the playground.”

“I am scared of you and your brother, ” Diamond said, squirming in Fault Line's grip. “My outburst on the playground was from what my parents instilled in me, but after spending those few hours with the Crusaders, I see that not all changelings are bad. You two, however, are, and I will be telling daddy your true identities when we are rescued!”

“Oh, you will huh?” Fault Line said, a devious smirk forming as he chuckled. “Well, it is a good thing that I already have thought of a way to keep you from foiling our plan. Tell me, have you heard of an ichor implant?”

A cold shot of fear coursed through the Crusaders, each looking at Fault Line like he had lost his mind. Taboos were something that ever drone knew from their first few classes of hiveschool, but only as a means to detail just what the punishment was for each. Out of all the things that had been outlawed, ichor implantation had one of the most severe consequences. Those who were found guilty were sentenced to have their wings and horn removed, hive mind blocked, and dumped in the middle of the Badlands.

“You can't be serious!” Applebloom said, a look of pure horror showing on her face. “That has been outlawed for centuries, why would you do something that cruel?”

“I agree with her,” Subduction said, suddenly looking nervous. “I mean, the Harmony Hive is our queen's enemy, but do you honestly think committing that is going to solve anything?! In fact, wouldn't that just make the situation worse for our queen?”

“Where is your loyalty brother?” Fault Line said, spinning in place and scowling at Subduction. “She said use any means necessary to keep her plan in place, so if little-miss-blabbermouth is going to rat us out, it will be as the thing her parents despise. Besides, they wouldn't believe a word she says, because she will be one of us.”

Fault Line's horn then pulsed once, and suspended in his grip was a ruby dagger. Ancient runes flowed and connected from tip to hilt, and was coated in several sticky, dark green splotches. Taking the dagger, Fault Line dug it into one of his forelegs, his ichor dripping out the wound from around the dagger.

“Brother…” Subduction said, looking concerned as he placed a hoof on Fault Line's wither. “Please reconsider, as I have stated, they're just fillies.”

“So?” Fault Line said, pulling out the dagger. A quick healing spell followed suit, and his leg was restored to normal. “The Crusader's are part of our enemy's hive, and the two Earth Ponies are their friends. Therefore, they are allies to our enemy, and under the rules of war are our prisoners. Since our queen said to just keep them alive, she never said in what condition.”

“This is madness!” Subduction said, extended a hoof towards his brother. “Come on Fault Line, give me the dagger, there is no need for innocent blood to be spilled on this day. Our queen may be seen as evil, but is there really any cause to show that she is? She adheres to the old rules, and the consequence for the taboo you are about to perform is in there. Do you honestly think she will give you a free pass? Please, just stop.”

“I will not!” Fault Line said, and quicker than anypony could blink he had the ichor-laced dagger embedded in the frog of Diamond Tiara’s left hindhoof. Using his magic, the runes on the dagger flared, causing the wound to glow an unearthly dark purple. “And I will make sure to tell our queen of your traitorous remarks.”

“Like Tartarus you will!” Subduction said, body slamming Fault Line and pinning him to the floor. “It is you who are the traitor, and our queen will agree.”

“>We shall see about that Subduction,<” Fault Line said, switching to the hive mind as he smirked. Focusing on a certain tether within the hive mind, he sent off a pulse that equated to a bow.”>My most glorious queen, I regret to inform you that Subduction has been slightly corrupted by our prisoners. He sided with them over me because I suggested doing an ichor implant on Diamond Tiara. So, as a testament to your glory, I performed the ritual anyway to show you should be in charge; while also showing Subduction where his loyalty should remain.<”

“>Oh is that so?<” Both brothers froze in place as their queen's voice came through their hive mind, her tone full of malice. “>I have been quietly monitoring you two, and it seems to me that Subduction is the reasonable one in this case.<”

“>B-but…<” Fault Line stammered, knowing full and well that this was not going to go well. “>He questioned my judgment, I was only doing what you told me to do!<”

“>First of all, watch your tone,<” Queen Themis chided, her tone clearing showing that she was shaking her head. “>Second, I never, at any point, ordered you to do a conversion. That was a choice that you made on your own accord, with you taking my instructions and warping them to what you deemed fit. Yes, I did tell you to use any means necessary, and that's the only reason I don't outright kill you. I'm sure you're acquainted with the old laws, because I find you guilty.<”

“>Please reconsider my queen, I beg you,<” Fault Line pleaded, yet a growing sense of fear started to gnaw away at his resolve. “>Give me a demotion, make me clean the collection pits, but please don't leave me to die in the Badlands.<”

“>I’m sorry Fault Line, but I am going to do just that.<” Queen Themis said, the rest of the drones in her hive falling silent as she gave her judgment. “>I give you ten minutes to get here, otherwise I will track you down and cull you where you stand. That will give me enough time to fill in Ferra and Terra in on their assignment as your replacement. Do I make myself clear?<”

“>Y-yes my queen…<” Fault Line said, lowering his head as he accepted his fate. “>It was an honor serving you.<”

“>You always were one of my most loyal drones, however, as queen I have to follow the law to the letter. It will slightly pain me to perform the deed, but it must be done.<” With the judgment cast, an uneasy silence reigned across the hive mind, that is until Themis turned her attention to Subduction. “>Now, as for you, Terra and Ferra will be there shortly to assist you in watching over our prisoners, in addition to assist the filly as she transitions. I see no fault from you, so you are spared… for now.<”

“>Thank you, my queen,<” Subduction said, his now being felt over the waves of the hive mind. “>I shall wait for their arrival.<”

“>Good, and make sure that each are properly fed and nourished, the last thing I need to deal with is a dead filly who I need to stay alive.<” Themis said, but as Subduction went to pull himself back to awareness his queen pulled him back. “>One last thing, be careful of your wander mind you little drone, for I can make you severely regret thinking treacherous thoughts.<”

“>Understood my queen,<” Subduction said, bowing once more before returning his attention to his captive audience. Noticing that Fault Line had already left, he undid the chains on each filly, but kept the binders in place on the Crusaders. “Diamond, I am deeply sorry for my brother's actions, however, he is about to meet a fate that he rightly deserves.”

“D-does it really matter now?” Diamond said, trembling in place as she looked at the incision, the outer edges of which already starting to darken in coloration. “My life as I know it is about to come to an end, so is there a point in knowing if he lives or not?”

“Look,” Subduction said, pulling the scared Earth Pony close to him as Ferra and Terra arrived, but he ignored them for the moment. “I know things look bad now, but think of the bright side, there is so much more you would be able to do after the process finishes. You will be able to change into any species, or anypony for that matter, and can resume your everyday life by disguising as your… current self.”

“That's not true,” Diamond whimpered, her whole body starting to shake from her building sobbing. “It will be a lie, deception, a ruse I will have to cope with the rest of my life. I love my things, and my parents, but I'm going to lose it all. My parents want all changelings banished from Equestria, I will just be taken away as well if they win. No home, no family, nothing…”

“In the hive mind there is comfort,” Ferra said, her and her sister stepping forward. “In the hive there is family, you never will be alone. Our queen is like a mother, gently caring for us and doing what she can to keep us alive, but also firm when it comes to tradition and the rules we have to live by.”

“I still will no longer be me…” Diamond said, looking at her stabbed hoof like it was a blight. “I will be nothing more than a shell of chitin, a bug without a purpose or home.”

“Diamond,” Terra’s tone was soft and warm, surprising the Crusaders that a drone from a fearsome rival could sound so much like a mother comforting their foal. “Look at the Crusaders, other than the fact they're drones, are they still the same fillies you always knew?”

“Y-yes,” Diamond managed to squeak out, burying her face in Subduction's chest as another wave of tears threatened to burst free. “But they're used to not having much, I'm not, anything I asked for has always been given to me.”

“If they are still the same, why do you think you'll become a different individual?” Subduction said, wiping away a few tears that had got stuck in the fur on Diamond's cheeks. “Most converts still hold on to their personality.”

“I think the point that is hitting her hardest is the fear of rejection, exile, and being left with nothing.” Silver Spoon said, squeezing her friend as hard as she could in a bear hug. “I've known her my whole life, and we grew up together, and she always has been extremely possessive about the things she owns. Every toy, every dress, everything down to her silver sugar spoon, she holds close to her. Ummm, I think the best analogy for you would be one of your queen's high ranking drones wanting to live a pony life and bask in friendship.”

“Oh…” All three adults said in unison, a sensation like ice water flowing through their ichor. For a few moments, noling said a word, until Ferra cleared her throat to break the silence.

“I can see now why she is acting like she is,” Ferra said, a small stroke of fear pulsing at the thought of what her queen would do to her or her clutchmates if they dared to commit that act. “However, our queen sent me and Terra here to make her transition as easy and comforting as possible.”

“Then can I have a Coltifornian sized bed?” Diamond said, her coat brightening a few hues. “That way my friends and I can have something soft to sleep on.”

“Um...” Each adult cast sidelong glances at each other, but the Crusaders could tell that they were daring each other to see who would be the one to ask Queen Themis. Drawing straws, and a quick loss by Subduction later, he transformed into an older-looking Earth Pony stallion before teleporting away.

“You know, you aren't so bad.” Sweetie said, causing Ferra and Terra to look at each other in confusion. “You have done nothing but help Diamond, and even without your queen's order, something tells me that you would help get anyway.”

“We know what she is going through Sweetie Belle,” Ferra said, getting each filly’s attention and causing Sweetie’s jaw to drop in shock. “We're converts ourselves.”

“In fact,” Terra said, a mirthful smirk forming at the corners of her lips. “Your sister frequents our place of business quite often.”

“No way,” Scootaloo said, recognition coming to her since the places Rarity went regularly was very short, with only one business in Ponyville being on that list. “Spa sisters?”

“You got it kiddo,” Ferra said, speaking in Aloe's voice as she chuckled. “My sister and I are originally from the Northern Territory, in the Highlands between Manehattan and the Frozen North, but when we were fillies there was an usually brutal winter.”

“Mom and dad didn't make it, and neither did our brother.” Terra, using Lotus’ voice, said as saddest overtook her face. “By the time spring rolled around, the two of us were ready to give up hope.”

“However, we got lucky,” Ferra said, working a massage on Diamond in an effort to get the filly to relax. “One of the village elders offered to take us, and the other dozen who survived, back to his homeland. Upon arriving at the destination, he dropped his disguise and Themis gave us a choice, either convert and join or dropped in the middle of Everfree.”

“Each of us agreed,” Terra said, her mood parking back up. “So, we were led to the pod room and were converted together as a group. Even though we weren't hatched, we saw ourselves as a clutch, and were treated as such. She gave us a chance when there was none, and are grateful for giving us a chance to grow up.”

“I don't get it Aloe,” Scootaloo said, Ferra turning in acknowledgment. “If your queen is against the ways of ponies, then how does she allow you two to have friends?”

“You have a lot to learn Scootaloo, and that lesson will come with age.” Ferra said, smiling at the relaxed sighing coming from Diamond as Subduction teleported in with the bed. “There is a difference between friends and acquaintances. The two of us have many acquaintances not only in Ponyville, but all over Equestria and beyond. Yet, at the same time, we don't have anypony to truly call a friend. The other workers in the spa? Those are a few of our clutchmates, and we are able to have a steady enough supply of love from our treatments to get by.”

“Things aren't as easy as they are in your hive girls,” Terra said, levitating the fillies onto the bed. Taking a look at Diamond's stabbed hoof, she could see the beginning stages of the area around the wound becoming chitin, the flesh now slightly harder and a dull grey. “We don't have the friendship source you have, so we have to gather up whatever love scraps we can. We're our queen's two biggest collectors, but due to the current tensions between sides, even our work doesn't gather what it used to, it is tainted with anxiety and fear.”

“S-so what now?” Diamond asked, idly rubbing her throbbing hoof against the fitted sheets. “How long before the changes finish?”

“For now, you need some sleep Diamond,” Subduction said, levitating a thick blanket over the fillies. “We will discuss more when you are rested, for you’ve had a long day. As far as the changes are concerned, your kind of transformation normally averages about a week, but it does vary on a complex magical algorithm that noling really understands. Also, don't worry about falling asleep, we'll help you go into slumber.”

“So,” Silver Spoon said, waiting until she was sure Diamond was asleep before speaking, the adults’ horns still glowing with the targeted sleep spell. “Why can't you accept the ways of friendship? I'm no changeling, but I am curious.”

“Whatever our queen asks, we do,” Terra said, emphasizing her statement with a slight shrug. “She doesn't believe in friendship, and we agree. Friends are nothing more than limiters, because they seem like they will be there for you, only to backstab you when you need them most. With acquaintances, you have the social interaction without the binding of being friends, so it is a win-win.”

“No, it isn't, and in a way you lied to our friend,” Apple Bloom said, a scowl on her face as she glared. “You tried telling Diamond she would remain the same, yet, each of you are former ponies yourselves. You know the value of friendship, you know friendship is something we all cherish. How can you flat out tell Diamond to her face that she will still be her, when you are no longer yourselves?”

In the depths of the hive mind, even Themis had to concede that point. She hated the fact she had to, but she also knew Apple Bloom's question was the truth.

“W-well,” Subduction stammered, trying to avoid eye contact with the angry fillies. “She is just so young, there is no need to freak her out anymore than she already is.”

“Not only that,” Terra said, a downright guilty look in her eyes. “It took us becoming drones to see that friendship doesn't always work.”

“Oh wow, what a copout!” Scootaloo said, her snarkiness in her tone being more suited for Rainbow than herself. “Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and I became drones because we love our sisters, but we still have friends like Silver Spoon. No relationship, including friendship, is perfect, but the benefits of having those bonds with someone far outweigh the negatives. Our entire hive is devoted to friendship, and we have ponies come to our queens wanting to become part of something bigger than themselves.

“It is the nobility of Canterlot, who are so ingrained in fear and tradition, who are causing such a clusterbuck of everything. They try to make us look bad, but with each passing day the number of supporters they have on their side gets fewer and fewer. Yet, we still carry on with our lives. We all share this land, and even the same resources, so why can't we all get along?”

“That is just the way things are Scootaloo,” Ferra said, a small sigh escaping her. “It is ironic, isn't it? A nation that thrives on peace and harmony is about to be ripped apart by chaos and war just like back during the Tribal War. We all have a part to play, but as it stands we are on opposite sides of the battle. There never will be true peace, there will always be conflict. That being said, the safest place for the five of you right now is here, away from the conflict.”

“A conflict that can be avoided if a compromise is made,” Sweetie grumbled, crossing her forehooves. “So, your queen's plan, how long until the gates of Tartarus open up and pure chaos breaks loose?”

“Shouldn't be long,” Subduction said, a neutral expression on his face. “For the seeds of the next phase have been planted.”

In Canterlot, a noble family finds a note, and in anger demands to the Princesses for their bill to be passed.

In the Badlands, there were six queens.

A queen of blue, with anger renewed
A queen of pink, searching for links
A queen of white, being a heartbroken sight
A queen of orange, wanting charge
A queen of lavender, knowing the challenger
And a queen of yellow, keeping her hive mellow

“Girls, listen to me,” Fluttershy said, doing her best to keep her coqueens from doing something they would regret as she held the ransom note in her hooves. “Revenge is not an option here. We must handle this matter in a very delicate matter, because one wrong move and we instantly lose.”

“Come on Flutters,” Rainbow said, her horn slightly glowing. “She took three of our drones, three that are the closest to us, and I say we hit her where it hurts!”

“Ah’ normally don't condone violence, but tis’ personal.” Applejack said, causing Rainbow to give a slight hoof pump. “She has mah sis, and Ah’ want ‘er back, so mah vote is for attack.”

“Same here,” Rarity said, her tone as cuddly as a cornered rattlesnake. “There’s no telling what those brutes are doing to Sweetie Belle, or how terrible the conditions are where she is being held. I shudder at the thought of all those split ends that I'm going to have to undo out her head fin.”

“Well, at least you have your priorities in order…” Twilight said, taking comfort in the brief moment that showed Rarity was still the same alabaster unicorn that she always knew. “Here is what we know, the Crusaders, along with Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, were foalnapped from their treehouse several hours ago. It was at this point that their hive mind connection became muted, and it still is as we speak. Only clue we have is a few pegasi feathers that were at the scene, but thanks to Rainbow's and the Wonderbolt's help we can rule out just about every citizen of Cloudsdale.”

“Which is why I theorized the pegasi were actually changelings,” Pinkie said, using her magic to flip through papers of a report. “Then, when we got this note, those suspicions were confirmed. By the process of elimination, it is clear that Queen Themis is behind this crime, but due to us having no solid proof there is no way to actually accuse her in front of the Collective.”

“That's the most troubling part,” Fluttershy said, the others now looking at her. “She knows we have the proof that she did it, but she also knows that we can't formally charge her. To make matters worse, minors are involved, including the daughters of two very influential Canterlot nobles. There is no doubt in my mind that Diamond's and Silver's parents are now going to go full force in trying to exile our species, with us on the chopping block.

“Trust me girls, I am angry too, angry enough to go against some of my morals but I can't afford to. To use a hoofball analogy, the ball is in Themis' court, and we have to play defense to try and win the game. I already have a good number of my animal friends patrolling around Themis’ hive, silently doing recon while we plan our next move. That is why, with a heavy heart, I am going to roll Rainbow's diamond dice and risk it all to secure victory.”

“What are you going to do Flutters?” Rainbow asked, an uneasy feeling starting to stir in the back of her mind as she looked at the neutral mask her friend was keeping. “There isn't much we can do, you said that yourself.”

“There is one thing Rainbow,” Fluttershy said, a slight grin tugging at the edge of her lips as her eyes darkened several shades. “I am putting Twilight in temporary charge, and any actions she makes I will fully support. While you girls are busy organizing the collective and filling them in on the full situation…

“I'm going to Canterlot to surrender to the Princesses.”

Author's Note

Long overdue, but finally brought back from the dead

Thanks to my Patrons and editors for helping me out.

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Cost of the Crown

The bustling city of Canterlot was one of the very few places Fluttershy loved to go outside of Ponyville or the hive. Being the unofficial capital of Equestria, there were many things that the queen could only get here, mainly medical supplies for her precious animal friends. The shopkeepers and everypony else, except the nobility, always greeted her with a wave and a smile, bringing joy to her heart that everypony trusted her in keeping them safe just as she and her friends had done countless times before.

Today, however, none of those things were true.

As Fluttershy walked down the cobblestone streets, worn smooth as glass by generations of ponies going about their everyday lives, the city seemed like a place she didn't recognize. The shops, normally alive with business, were locked up tight and the shutters closed as if preparing for an approaching storm. The normally-busy streets were abandoned like a ghost town, with the few who were trotting along giving Fluttershy a look of intense hatred; in fact, it seemed that her vibrant sunshine-yellow chitin was the only colorful thing, and even it was being dulled like rust to metal.

"They don't want me here," Fluttershy thought, mentally noting how quickly she had been deemed an enemy to the very citizens she helped to protect. "Can't really blame them, but it hurts nonetheless…"

As she neared the castle, the feeling only increased. Dozens of ponies, many of whom knew Flutters ever since the first time she became their customer, turned their heads away instead of giving her their normal cheerful greeting. At the entrance to the castle grounds, Sergeants Pokey and Clover were standing stock still as a pegasus in a deputized civilian guard uniform flew from the pair to back inside the castle.

"Pokey, Clover," Fluttershy said, giving the two a gentle smile. "How are you two doing today?"

"Being guards," Pokey said, making Fluttershy visibly flinch at both his tone and the conflict in his eyes. "Princess Celestia told us to halt all who do not have an appointment, and since we both have seen the list of scheduled visitors, we know you are not on it."

"Which is why you must stay here until we receive word for you to enter," Clover said, continuing Pokey's statement. "Although, after the stunt you and your hive pulled to cause this mess to begin with, I am surprised you have not been run out of town."

"You honestly think we did it?" Fluttershy's voice and mane fell once more, her wings dropping to her side as if they had been soaked in a thunderstorm. "You two have known us for years, why would we betray the ones we protect, when we have a thorn of a queen that we have to deal with on a continuous basis?"

"You betrayed your species to side with another," Pokey said, leveling his spear at Fluttershy for emphasis. "So you could be pulling the fur over our eyes about having to deal with a rogue queen."

"You know good and well the circumstances involved Pokey," Fluttershy was getting agitated, and she let it show by adding a little edge to her voice. "The whole guard ranks know, you mean that you would deny a death bed wish?"

"Considering all that Chrysalis did, yes I would," Pokey's statement was met by not only a look of shock from Fluttershy, but also Clover. "What? Chrysalis was evil, a villain, why should she be given favor just because she was dying?"

"I don't disagree with you much pal, but I do with that," Clover said making Pokey look at him with his head tilted. "Deathbed wishes, regardless of who it is, are expected to be honored and kept. In a way, that was Chrysalis coming to inner peace with her state, and redeeming herself for all the grief she caused us. That aside, even I have to question why you are here Fluttershy."

"Well, I am here to-"

"GUARDS! SIEZE HER!" The billowing voice caused Fluttershy and the two guards to look back towards the castle entrance, where Spoiled Rich stood while angrily waving a hoof at Fluttershy. "Her kind took my daughter, I want her bound, gagged, bridled, and cobbled while she is brought into the dungeons so she can be whipped until she returns my precious Diamond!"

"Wow Mrs. Rich," Pokey grinned, must to the ire of the enraged noble. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing, does your husband know about that fetish?"

"Yeah," Clover said, both he and Fluttershy unable to stop their giggling. "Or is it that I have to tell Maud Pie that you have a fetish for hard rocks?"

"Shut it!" Spoiled's face was red enough to pass for an apple and her scowl sour enough to make milk churn into butter as she stepped towards the trio. "I mean it! Either you arrest this parasite, or I will tell Princess Celestia that you are slacking on your duties. You were assigned to your post to be the first line of defense, so do your bucking jobs!"

"Now Spoiled," Clover said, finally ceasing his chuckling so his words would sound more serious, yet his voice remained calm. "I know you are mad, but you know the law; unless Fluttershy does something that is a direct threat to the princess, I cannot arrest her."

Fluttershy's horn flared to life, encasing Clover in its soft yellow hue. The guard squirmed as the spell went to work, lengthening his mane and tail, slimming his tone figure, and replacing three very important things of his with their counterparts.

"Does flipping a guard's gender count?" Fluttershy said, giggling at how embarrassed Clover looked while Pokey gave his companion a catcall. "Or do I need to really make her defenseless?"

"I-um," Pokey was conflicted. On one hoof, it was a very funny prank, one that he wouldn't mind learning himself for Spring Pranks Day. Yet, on the other, that was technically an attack on a guard, and with a very angry noble glaring at him, he knew what he had to do. "A-alright Fluttershy, I can't believe I am saying this, but you are under arrest for an attack on a member of the Solar Guard. Lower your horn and clasp your wings to your back."

Fluttershy did as was told, lowering herself so the unicorn would have an easier reach as he levitated on the wing binder and horn suppressor onto the changeling. She felt the immediate effect, unable to call upon even a flicker of her magic as Pokey had her get up and led her inside the castle.

"I just knew your kind couldn't be trusted," Spoiled said, following them inside before trotting in front to spit into Fluttershy's face. "I will make sure you are tortured beyond belief for what you have done."

"Is that so?" Princess Celestia's voice was like water to Spoiled's emotional fire, the mare flinching before bowing to the alicorn. "I do not recall putting you in charge of court, so therefore your preference of judgment is lost upon me. Me and my sisters are the law, you going to deny that?"

"N-no princess," Spoiled stuttered, avoiding looking at her ruler. "Its just that-"

"I don't want to hear it Spoiled," Celestia said, stomping a hoof into the floor. "You have been in my ear since you found that note for me to banish the changelings from Equestria. Unless I deem it fit, it is not going to happen, do I make myself clear?"

"B-but princess," Spoiled stammered, wilting under the raging inferno in Celestia's glare. "She attacked a guard! By attacking a member of your ranks, she is subject to punishment Your Highness."

"Attacked a guard huh?" Celestia said, raising a skeptical eyebrow in Fluttershy's direction. "Is what she says true Fluttershy?"

"Well, kinda," Fluttershy said, giving Spoiled a crude smirk that made the mare's skin crawl. "But less 'attacked', and more 'proved a point'. All I did was change Clover into a mare, which gave Pokey enough grounds to arrest me. In addition, as the dignitary leader of the Harmony Hive, by willingly turning myself into the authority of Equestria I am protected under the Ritus Solis that you put into law after the Great Griffin War.

"Thus, I have the right to plead my innocence while being protected under the Crown against all forms of harsh behavior by members of your populace, including the Canterlot Nobility. Considering that Spoiled Rich spat in my face in your presence, the charges against me are to be dropped and she is, by law, to have the bottom of her hooves chopped off and cauterized to trot about as a lame for the rest of her days."

"You clever changeling," Celestia said, giving Fluttershy a smile as she lightly chuckled, Spoiled paling at the very thought of that punishment. "You are correct in that regard, so you are free to go. As for you Spoiled, I'm sure that Pokey and Sergeant Spear will gladly escort you to the infirmary so your punishment can be carried out in full."

"N-no wait, please!" Spoiled said, Pokey and Spear moving to both sides of her and started their march down the hallway. "I will do anything, just don't give me that punishment!"

"A bit too late for that I am afraid," Celestia said, her face level in neither a smile nor frown. "You invoked the law, and the law must be followed. Carry on Sergeants."

"Celestia," Fluttershy said, making sure that Spoiled was out of earshot as the noble's sobbing echoed down the corridor. "Correct me if I am wrong, but under the same law, isn't it my choice whether or not that punishment is carried out?"

"It is indeed," Celestia said, a smile growing as she removed Fluttershy's bindings, knowing the mare had made her point. "Shall I recall them? I do believe Spoiled might be more open to listening to you now. That was brilliantly done by the way, really made her scared out her coat."

"As soon as I detailed the first part of the law, I felt her whole emotion fetch shift," Fluttershy's tone remained leveled, but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "Anger melted away, and fear rolled off her like a cold front in the Frozen North. Recall them, for time is of the essence Celestia, and I have already wasted enough of it. I will be waiting in the interrogation room for your arrival."

"As you wish Queen of Kindness," Taking a courtesy bow, Celestia teleported down the hall, making Spoiled Rich recoil and yelp like a puppy getting tapped with a newspaper. "Pokey, Spear, please bring Spoiled to the interrogation room on the double. Queen Fluttershy has chosen for Spoiled to not go through with that torture, on the grounds she hears her case."

"This has to be a trick," Spoiled said, earning a questionable look from Celestia. "Why would she choose to spare me, even after I just spat in her face?"

"That will be a question for her to answer," Celestia said, heading for the interrogation room. "Come along Spoiled, it is rude to keep company waiting."

Slowly the group went through the halls, Spoiled feeling like she was on her own funeral march as the interrogation room loomed ever closer. The pastel colors of the castle faded away into obsoletion in this part of the castle into cold grey, with every noble knowing that to avoid their own visit to the greyscale imprisonment. Yet, all the stories she had heard paled in comparison to seeing it with her own two eyes, and it gave her the creeps how such a dull place could exist I such a colorful land of rainbows and harmony.

"Welcome," Fluttershy said, Spoiled freezing in place as they reached the interrogation room, the queen motioning to the seat across from her. "Please, sit, we have much to discuss."

"You think I-" Spoiled's sentence was cut short by a well placed poke from Pokey's spear, making her gulp and swallow her pride. "I apologize for my rash behavior, but I do hope you can understand my behavior and doubt."

"Fear is a powerful emotion," Fluttershy said, waiting for Spoiled to take her seat before speaking. "It can warp your very thought processes and make rational choices seem mute. You were acting out of fear, worry, and concern for your daughter, so it is perfectly forgivable."

"Thank you," Spoiled said, doing her best to relax. "However, I am curious why you rebuked my sentence, Element of Kindness aside, you had no reason to."

"Because I am not the monster you are looking for," Fluttershy said, moving over to lightly rub Spoiled's back. The noble flinched at the first contact, but soon was enjoying the feeling. "That monster is still out there, hoping to tear apart the peace between ponies and changelings, and hoping that me and my friends get stripped of our hive and ran off to Parts Unknown. That monster sees ponies as nothing but prey, and we are the only thing standing in her way from achieving her goal.

"Tell me something Spoiled. Why, after all this time, would my friends and I turn our backs to Equestria? Through every trial and challenge, through fire and flame, we carried on until we won. Does us being a different species really matter? No, it doesn't, because deep down we are still the same ponies that the elements themselves chose for us to wield."

"I suppose it doesn't matter then," Spoiled said, feeling a bit sullen after her hooves had been spared, and was willing to do whatever it took to avoid getting the punishment. "But after all what Chrys-"

"Stop," Fluttershy's gaze went straight at Spoiled's soul, instantly shutting her up. "As my friend AJ says, all it takes is one bad apple to ruin a whole harvest. Now, Chrysalis was far from perfect, but she was far from being a mushy, rotten apple. The things she did were nice compared to the history me and my friends learned that prior queens used to do, and in the end she did make amends. As for Themis, she is a rotten and mushy apple that has been left in the summer sun for way to long. I may have reformed Discord, but I will not be giving Themis the same leniency."

"You are being a bit of a hypocrite there Fluttershy," Celestia said, causing all heads to turn in her direction. "You can't give someone a second chance but deny another the same chance, that would be like inducting your brother Zephyr Breeze into the Fashion Hall of Fame but not Rarity. You are trodding a slippery slope Fluttershy, I saw it many moons ago with Sombra and my sister, so I know the signs. I don't have to be a changeling to see the thirst for vengeance in your eyes, and it is a raging inferno at the moment."

"I'm sorry Celesta," Fluttershy said, taking a few minutes to cage the beast that threatened to take over her mind. "It's just that since they were taken, I have been having some pretty dark thoughts. Things that I would never do under normal circumstances have been sounding quite tempting."

"That is something I have experience with," Celestia said, giving Fluttershy a knowing smile. "Shortly after me and Luna became rulers of Equestria, one of our advisors tried to undermine the effort into unification that we firmly believed in by trying to sneak in a bylaw that would make unicorns have all the authority. Luckily, Luna caught it before the resolution passed, and it led to a brutal fight in the courts. I thought about unleashing the power of the sun to force the measure into submission, but in the end I didn't and a compromise was reached that one pegasus and one Earth Pony will be on the sitting council, a tradition that continues to this day. Do you know why I didn't unleash my sun Fluttershy?"

"Hmmm, because it would have done more harm than good?" Fluttershy said, tapping her chin in thought. "It would have got your point across, but it would also terrify everypony into thinking you were some sort of dictator like Sombra."

"Very well done," Celestia chuckled, pointing to her crown as she continued. "My circlet proves I am the co-head of state, but to be truthful I am the furthest thing from it. Every action I make effects every citizen of Equestria, so to unleash my full power when there was still tension between the tribes would have been disastrous. The crown you bear Fluttershy is no different, your drones are your children and subjects, and a good queen makes sure her subjects are well fed before she can feast for herself. That balance may try to sway your moral compass, but only you can keep it aligned."

"By trying to thwart Themis' goal," Flutteshy said, earning a nod from the Solar Princess as the Queen of Kindness' horn glowed, presenting the letter delivered to the hive. "And it starts with this. I have done enough business with Filthy Rich to know both his and Spoiled's writing style, and at first glance, it matches Spoiled's. However, there was one thing I thought about that Themis could have done, but I wanted to test it in front of you to prove my innocence once and for all."

Fluttershy's horn glowed, her magic fully focused on the letter as Spoiled and Celestia watched. The script briefly quivered, like it had a mind of its own and was trying to fight back the spell, but it began to be and warp into a script that was less flowey and more jagged.

"A coverscript spell," Celestia said, impressed at Fluttershy's creative problem solving. "How did you know that would work?"

"I didn't," Fluttershy said,giving a sheepish giggle. "It was merely a theory, but it was likely since I don't believe Spoiled would want to foalnap the fillies herself due to how close Silver Spoon is to the Crusaders. Considering her parents are really influential nobles, it would have been disastrous for her and Filthy.

"The first rule of a successful infiltration is to hide in plain sight, with rule two being don't get caught. I think Themis underestimated me since I am the quiet one of my friends, so she probably expected me to be the one panicking when in actuality I'm the one making sure none of my coqueens do anything rash that they will regret later."

"Very noble of you," Spoiled said, looking up at Fluttershy on the verge of tears. "Do you think that you'll be able to find Diamond and return her safely? I just want my little filly back."

"I will do my best," Fluttershy said, pulling Spoiled into a hug so the noble could have something to cry on. "Twilight and the others are having a meeting with the other members of the Collective as we speak, with a copy of this letter as a placeholder. I fully trust the Collective to find Themis guilty, and then we can proceed with a countermeasure…

"I hope…"

"Ok, lets go over the facts one more time…"

Nobuggy was happy, each exhausted and down right bored with Twilight's lecturing, so when she made the call to go over the evidence for the seventh time, a collective groan rose through the chamber.

"With all due respect Twilight," Glacial said, earning a confused chirp from the lavender queen. "Your case is sound, but all we have to go on is circumstantial timing and a note from Spoiled Rich. Now, I understand how personal this may be for the three of you, but we have to rule out all other possible alternatives before throwing the book at Themis. You wanted the rest of us to learn how to do things the pony way, so we are going to do this the pony way."

"Fine," Twilight said, returning to her seat with a slight huff as she sat back down. "The Harmony Hive rests, do any of you have anything you wish to add?"

"I request to have the floor," Queen Saphron said, standing up and moving to the front of the room after Twilight nodded. "My fellow queens, I know this may sound pointless, but I believe that we should bring in Mrs. Spoiled Rich for a joint questioning with Princess Celestia. With Queen Fluttershy acting as a deflective pawn, it will be easier to get some answers out of her."

"That, to me, sounds like a form of peaceful yet tactful intimidation," Queen Obsidian said, her charcoal-colored magic levitating the letter. "Let's assume Themis did write this letter, in that case we would be punishing an innocent mare who is worried about her child. The backlash from that would be severe, and will knock our integration efforts back for years, let alone the breakdown of tolerance from the Canterlot Nobility. I can see why you wanted it, but in this situation it is not a wise choice."

"I see," Saphron said, lowering her ears slightly as she sulked back to her seat. "Do you have a better choice then?"

"I have one that might provide more damage control," Obsidian, at Twilight's interest, stood and moved to take her place at the head of the table. "Look, we all know Themis is likely guilty because of her grudge against the Harmony Hive and being stuck in her old fashioned ways, but I am thinking broader. Spoiled Rich has done everything in her power to ensure life for us in Equestria is as hard as possible. From blackmailing other nobles to try and enact laws restricting our rights, to full blown smear and propaganda techniques, she is not fully innocent in this case. Luckily, we have the princesses on our side, but they can only do so much when subjected to pressure from the citizens.

"My point is simple, there is a slim chance Spoiled is pulling all the strings. She has the means and motive, and wouldn't take much keep Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's nuzzles shut. As for the Crusaders, there is no doubt in my mind that she has the connections to get a few horn binders made specifically to block changeling hivemindal communication."

"I see one flaw," Queen Omenia, who had been quiet the whole meeting other than role call, said as she raised a hoof to speak. "Just as you shot down Glacial's idea with the reaction from the nobility, how do you think they would react to one of their own nymphnapping the sisters of three changeling queens as a means to push our species out? It would really put a black mark not only in her, but also turn the entire population against the nobility in a way that would force the princesses to redo the whole government."

"Which will make them extremely vulnerable to any outside threats," Twilight said, looking to Obsidian after giving nodding at Omenia's explanation. "Even with the pull we have, the Harmony Hive, and by extension this Collective, can only do so much with how bad things are right now. I say we wait for Fluttershy to finish up in Canterlot before continuing, that way we have touched base with our Equestrian Ally before proceeding."

"What if she doesn't rejoin us?" Queen Rhododendron said, making everyling look at her. "What are we going to do if she is taken captive as a result of the disappearances?"

"Fluttershy put me in temporary command, so I would be the one you all will discuss business with," Twilight said, the other queens briefly tensing up at that thought. "That being said, I doubt she would be taken captive right now, because if she was then Celestia would have sent me an official notice."

"Do you really think that?" All eyes turned to the source of the question, the feeling in the room turning hostile at Queen Themis standing in the door. "These are troubling times Queen Twilight, and Princess Celestia does have to ensure the best interests of her tasty subjects after all."

"Why are you here?" Glacial Wind said, fighting the urge to make Themis go *SPLAT!* on the far wall of the chamber. "You are not a member of this Collective, and are a suspect of the foalnapplings, so you must be feeling pretty bucking bold to show your chitin to us under these circumstances."

"She has the right to be," Twilight groaned, ignoring the looks the other queens were giving her. "Despite being an independent hive, she has the right to sit as representation for her drones. That being said, welcome to the meeting Queen Themis, how are your love stores holding up?"

"Managing enough for now," Themis said, frowning as she glanced at the things that laid upon the table. "So I showed up late to my own kangaroo court, that's something… I may have misjudged you Twilight."

"Misjudged me?" Twilight let out a confused chirp, which made the other queens giggle at Twilight's embarrassment. "Please, elaborate on that a bit."

"Calling together an emergency meeting without letting me know? You're more of a changeling than I thought." Themis said, leaning up and putting her crossed forehooves on the table as she chuckled. "That is a very backhooved and very un-ponylike thing to do. I thought ponies beloved in being innocent until proven guilty? Yet here you are, trying to convince the other queens to indict me without any concrete evidence."

"To be fair, this meeting was Fluttershy's idea," Twilight said, amazed that Themis even had the ability to be surprised, judging by the queen's slack jaw anyway. "So I deserve no credit."

"Not only that Themis, you make it sound like you are innocent, when none of us have questioned you on the matter," Obsidian's statement made Themis sweatdrop, the other queens smirking at her as she tried to subtly shift in her seat. "What's the matter Themis? Ants get in your tail and making you squirm, or do you realize that you just busted yourself?"

"I-um," Themis faltered, her smug expression gone from her face, and her outflow emotion shifted all the way to nervousness. "I am simply nervous about being under investigation. This is something that I have never been subjected to before, so I am unsure about how it will go. Does it involve me having my magic blocked and being dunked in a scorpion pit? Timberwolf lair? Cockatrice nest during breeding season?"

"None of those things Themis," Twilight said, mentally noting how Themis visibly and emotionally relaxed at that news. "To simplify, we are going to gather as much evidence as we physically can, then move on to the interview phase. During that stage, all questioned parties will be held to the Meadowbrook Oath of Truth, and render them incapable of lying who they give their testimony, you included."

"That is so I can prove my innocence, or, in your case, catch me in a lie?" Themis's question was greeted with a nod by all the other sitting queens, making her mentally start to reformulate her plan. Diamond Tiara's conversion and the Oath were two wild cards she had not expected to deal with, but she had a pre-planned wild card of her own. "Thanks for the advance warning, but I am curious, have any of your drones had an issue with stuffing themselves with friendship?"

"Stuffing with friendship? You mean like a normal love feeding?" Every part of Twilight's brain was already ringing mental alarm bells and raising red flags as she asked the question, but the scientific part of her rebelled and made her continue on. "That is a very interesting question, one I will admit to have already mentally asked myself, but with the fillies gone I've been too busy to pursue that as a possible alternative to love. Why do you ask?"

"May I have the floor?" Twilight's eagerness to approve the request made Themis want to smirk, but she knew she had to keep a level poker face for her gamble to bluff the house. "Considering that I am not part of your Collective, that has allowed me time to think things over myself about how my hive can adapt with the changing relations between changelings and other creatures. Although I do not agree with the principle, I've come to realize that I need to accept the new path the species is going to follow.

"That being said, I decided to perform an experiment. Choosing a select group of my finest drones, I spread them out to different cities and regions within Equestria, Griffinstone, and the Dragon Lands to see how they would perform when compared to their usual emotion returns."

"Smart," Obsidian said, humming in thought as she thought over Themis' words. "By not coming to the Collective meetings, you didn't have access to the information the rest of us have outside of the results that were given during the first official meeting after Chrysalis's death; therefore, you had to find out on your own the long term results we have collected."

"That is where my initial question to Twilight comes into play," Themis said, her tone and facial features turning sullen. "Not even a week after I sent out the group, I get a frantic letter from the drone that I had stationed in Manehatten. Apparently, he got it into his head that since ponies are so full of friendship, he would try feasting off that instead of love."

Themis couldn't feel more pleased with herself even if she tried. Not only had she diverted the meeting, she now had what she considered to be a captive audience laid out before her. She really didn't want to put one of her top fighters in the position, but if the planned worked she would more than make it up to him later.

"What happened?" Twilight's demeanor spoke sincere concern, from her softened facial features to her calm tone. "The way you are talking, it sounds like the drone was gravely injured."

"Err, in a manner of speaking, but maybe it will be best if you see the results yourselves," Themis leveled a deep frown before turning towards the doorway, clapping her forehooves together three times in rapid succession. "Thorax, you may come in and show the results of your experiment ".

When the drone in question entered, every queen in the Collective was instantly spooked.

The drone's chitin was completely solid, free of any holes to be seen,and had changed to a bright green instead of the characteristic black, with his barrel being a darker shade than the rest of his body. His wings and tail were a shining purple, and his eyes matched their new look like two panes of royal purple stained glass.

However, those things, nor the three diamonds that rested on his chest that made Rarity burn with jealousy, were not what made the other queens recoil; what made them shudder like the chill of a Windego was the two antler-like appendages that rested above his head. Just seeing the combination of everything mashed together like something out of a filly's twisted fantasy prompted a range of reactions.

"What the buck?!"

"On the first mother's grave…"

"May Gaia help his soul…"

"By Luna's moon…"

"Wha'n tarnation?!"

"Oh! We need a party!"

"Those lovely jewels…"

"Sweet Celestia…"

"As you can see," Themis said, clearing her throat to break the shock up and restore attention. "My poor drone was transformed into an abomination, a product of the foundation for which ponies have been able to thrive."

"This is disturbing," Obsidian said, turning to stare down Twilight. "Is this why you keep postponing this field of research? Knowing this was going to happen, but keeping it away from us in order to keep us on your side."

"Not at all," Twilight said, matching Obsidian's stare as her chitin went rigid in anger. "Remember, I have been personally involved with trying to break through the species barrier with the Canterlot Nobility to make changelings equally accepted amongst the populace. Then, on top of that, the fillynapping happened so I have had zero time to delve into it."

Standing up and moving to where Thorax stood, she slowly circling the transformed drone as she scanned him with her magic. Her scans, revealing that he was not in disguise, made her confused at how such an odd change could have come from what she felt was a harmless mutual feeling between two ponies. All her life she had known friendship to only be a good thing, but as the Queen of Friendship, seeing Thorax in his current state made her realize it could be negative too.

"Excuse me, Thorax isn't it?" Twilight said, causing the drone to nod at her question, the fact he reminded silent showing just how nervous he was. "How did you manage to absorb friendship? And how long did it take you to turn into… this?"

"I was incredibly dumb with my choice," Thorax's somber tone, and the fact that he refused to look Twilight in the eyes, earned him a great deal of sympathy from the other queens. "I thought that if we were supposed to integrate, we should be able to absorb it, you know? It took a few tries, but when I found the right manalength for the harmonic waves friendship pulls off, I started to slowly feed. At first, I was fine, other than being a bit more helpful than normal there were no other effects. On the fifth day in my mission, I woke up looking like this, and I immediately notified my queen of what had transpired."

"Well, at least you are not dying," Twilight's futile attempt at humor was accepted about as well as a beebear being accepted at the Meadowton Honey Festival, making her clear her throat after the moment of embarrassment. "Sorry, was just trying to point out the positives. If my scans are correct, you are now saturated with Harmony, to the point if another drone fed off you they would change as well."

"WHAT?!" Thorax shrieked, his wings spreading in alarm as the other queens mirrored his concern with glances of their own. "I don't want to be stuck like this, surely you can come up with a cure! If what you say is true, then I will have to go into isolation for who knows how long. You're Magic incarnate for crying out loud!"

"As much as that is true, magic is not a cure all for everything," Twilight said, her wings falling to her sides. "Diseases still kill, but this is something I want to have as a personal challenge to my abilities."

"You make it sound like I am being used as a lab rat," Thorax hissed, only to drop his head in shame. "Sorry, but I don't want to feel like an animal, ya know?"

"I can see the hesitation, but I promise no intentional harm will be done to you," With the delicateness of a mother tending to her foal to ward off their troubled thoughts, Twilight put a hoof under Thorax's chin so he could look into her deeply concerned pits of magenta that shone with hope. "Do me a favor, try and keep yourself together until after we find the fillies, ok? Once they are found and this mess is sorted, I will use all my free time to try and work on a cure."

"Thank you so much Queen Twilight," Thorax said, taking a bow before teleporting away in a glistening swirl of magic. Once alone in his room, Thorax slumped against the wall looking up to the ceiling. "I hope this case is resolved soon, no matter which side will fall… I don't want to be this freak any longer than I have to."

Little did he know, Harmony was feeling sympathetic towards him, and began to set the gears in motion for the next part of her objective. She hated that she had changed Thorax into what he now was, but she also knew that she had some old favors to collect from so very influential beings…

The Badlands had not felt the same surge of bountifulness the rest of Equestria and its surrounding lands had felt since the Harmony Hive fully rose to prominence. Even with specially assigned weather patrols and seedings tended and organized by the best Earth Pony farmers around, the land refused to yield to the nourishment and remained vacant and barren landscape.

Yet, in this hostile environment, a broken figure, left for obsoletion as a punishment for its crimes, stirred.

Author's Note

Long overdue, but work is more important

At the end of one world, another world begins...

The low-hanging clouds above Canterlot did well to reflect the mood of the citizens. A light rain had been falling unabated since before sunrise, and all the shops were locked up tight despite the large crowd that was currently gathered at the castle courtyard. Everypony, and everyling, both young and old, let the rain run off them with no umbrella or coat to wash away the pain they had endured. It had been a week since Themis was brought to Canterlot in chains, and the air was heavy with an unknown tension and suspense that had a light relief mixed in. For the CMC, four of their members quietly looked at the masses around them, from the seating area to the ponies that were standing on the walkway that wrapped around the top of the palace walls.

"Look at them all," Silver Spoon said, a dryness in her tone that contradicted how soaked her chitin was. "Ponies and changelings, together all around us, here to see the downfall of the ways of old. I'm glad we are allies, however, I wish the circumstances were not as… bleak."

"Tell me about it Silvs," Apple Bloom sighed, shaking a few raindrops off the tip of her horn. "We grew in ah time of peace, other than the threats our queens had tah fight off, but fer da most part each day was happy. This was ah wake up call that t'ings weren't always rosy, like when Celestia and Luna had to unite da tribes, or da Griffin Wars."

"Don't forget The War of the North after Sombra's downfall as well," Scootaloo said, looking down at the imposing gallows, where a short figure wearing a black cloak was waiting by the lever that activated the trap door. "Ponies die, changelings die, everycreature dies, this should remind everyone that actions have consequences. For Themis, her refusal to reform and the heinous acts she did led to the consequence we are about to witness, and it is symbolic in more than one way."

"How so Scoots?" Sweetie Belle, who had been fiddling with a Ponix Cube as a mandatory lesson in magic control from her sister, asked as she looked at her orange-shelled hivesister. "Way I see it, her death only means the death of her hive, seeing as the rest of her changelings that sided with her were all drained of their love stores in front of Themis last week."

"There is more to it than that Sweetie, and do you think it is appropriate for you to be messing with that cube on this occasion?" Scootaloo's remark hit home, making Sweetie lower the cube, which only had one correct side, into her hooves in shame. "Not only is it the death of her hive, but it is also the death of the Bad Days. We no longer have to live in fear, or forcibly steal love, we can walk side by side hoof in hoof with our fellow citizens freely."

"You are smarter than I gave you credit for," The moment the male voice hit their ears, each of the drones locked up in terror. Turning their heads, they all gasped in shock as Fault Line approached with a small smile on his face. What was more surprising to them, and made them stop cowering in fear, was not the smile, but how shiny his chitin was, the glossy black shell blemish-free besides the scars from where his horn and wings used to be. "However, you are going to witness someone taking their final breath. I have killed enough ponies and changelings alike in my past to know what that moment is like, it haunts you, and even now I can see their faces imprinted in my memory."

"That is no longer you crumpling," Derpy said, joining the conversation and placing a wing over Fault Line's back, making the drone relax at the sensation. "You are a better changeling now, and you told me that you have seen the err of your ways."

"Without the influence of Themis' hive mind, I was able to think about my actions," Fault said, the younger drones, as well as any changelings nearby, feeling a mix of guilt, shame, and regret coming from him. "I realized that I was nothing more than a pawn in her schemes, my loyalty to her nearly being my downfall by thinking I could win her favor when in actuality she was only out for herself. She never really did care about any of us, she just wanted our love stores to fuel her wicked desires. I mean, sure, she took care of us, but I have since come to realize that she only did that so we could continually be used. I know you probably won't take much stock in this, but, I am sorry for what I made you witness and put Diamond Tiara through."

"Apology accepted," Scootaloo said, the others quickly nodding in agreement. "It would be wrong of us to hold a grudge, also, you look happy with Derpy."

"What can I say?" Fault chuckled, turning to look Derpy in her eyes. "Some ponies know how to quiet the inner demons lurking in the shadows of my mind."

Every couple that has ever coupled knew The Look, a gaze of deeper meaning and understanding between partners that the average pony would not understand. It was able to make time seemingly stay still for brief moments, wordless conversations flowing back and forth and both partners knowing every word. For ponies, it was a look that symbolized the relationship's union, forged by Harmony in a bond that amplified the love that they shared. The same was mostly true for changelings, but with their ability to sense and absorb emotions, they could feel the love in the gaze. It permeated from their heads to their hooves, saturating them in a pleasant sensation akin to a nice honey tea filling them in bliss. The Crusaders could tell that Fault and Derpy had that bond, the love radiating off them pulsing like a star's energy and nearly overwhelming them from how strong it was.

"A-anyway," Fault said, clearing his throat as he reminded himself that he was in public and not in the comfort of his Ponyville home. "I just wanted to apologize for my actions, since I didn't know if the opportunity would present itself again anytime soon."

"At least you apologized," Silver said, her's and everyone else's ears swiveling to the sound of a drum roll. "I think you two should get to your seats, sounds like the main event is about to begin."

Above the gathered crowd, the royal balcony had been modified for the special occasion. The normally empty outcrop had been redone with drapes and cushioned seats for each queen in the Covenant, with the Harmony Hive taking the central seats. The Queens all sported ceremonial outfits, custom-made by Rarity to represent their respective hives with honor, while Fluttershy wore a far more elaborate dress due to being the Head Queen.

"Are you sure you want to do this Fluttershy?" Rainbow said, looking at her closest friend in deep concern. "If you did all this to make a point, you certainly got it across, and it is not too late to commute her sentence and issue a pardon."

"No," Fluttershy's single word reply carried the weight of a million, her tone devoid of all feeling and her gaze firmly locked on the wooden structure that would soon be where Themis met her demise as the first drum roll echoed across the courtyard and causing the crowd to quickly take their seats. "As I have stated before, Themis is a lost cause Rainbow, there is no hope for her. The primary reason I was able to reform Discord was deep down there was some good in him, good that does not exist in Themis nor does she want it.

"Over the last week, each of us have tried to use our respective elements as a means to try and redeem her, and each time she refused. Tell me, can you honestly redeem someone who does not wish to be redeemed? Someone who does not want to let go of their wickedness, and would rather die than change? Sure, imprisonment by stoning was an option, and so was being thrown in Tartarus, but what good would those options be since it opens the door for her to potentially be turned loose later. Oh no, this required something that would make a far more lasting impact, and eliminate the problem at its root. I may be the Element of Kindness, but I also have to look after the future of the changeling race.ⁿ

"Remember what I told you about the slippery slope," Celestia said standing near the entranceway to the balcony as a second drum roll rang out and made Fluttershy stand as she prepared to address the gathered populace. "If you start to show the signs of falling…"

"Then the protocol will be followed, but for now…" Fluttershy said, turning her attention to the courtyard, where everyone was awaiting her to start her address. "Ponies and changelings alike, we are gathered here today for a very special occasion, for today is the day the ways of old become another bookmark in the pages of history, and opening the door for the first steps of progress! Guards, please bring forward the prisoner."

At the command, another drum roll echoed out and the doors that lead to one of the access tunnels down to the dungeon were opened. Four guards, two Solar and two changelings, marched in perfect lockstep as Themis was paraded out, with the prisoner in question having a neutral expression on her face and her nose upturned in defiance. The week in confinement had not served her well, with her chitin more grey than black and her wings dulled from refusing to take the offered love samplings she had been provided.Yet, her slightly larger holes and sunken facial features did wonders to add to the menacing aura she put off; and even with an inhibitor ring clasped firmly around the base of her horn, she reveled in the sweet nectar that was the fear being put off by everyone in the crowd.

"Even in death, I still cause fear…" Themis mused, inwardly chuckling a bit at that revelation. "Even when my body decays, my legacy will last for generations, whether with magic or without it, my deeds will stand the sands of time."

She was interrupted from, to her point of view, a final hoof up ponykind's posterior, by the feeling of two spear shafts blocking her path. Looking at the offending parties with a glare that shook the two drones to the core and seared into their brains, she noticed that they had stopped her from walking off the edge of the gallow's platform, her short march up the stairs having gone unnoticed to her senses.

"Queen Themis the Fallen," Celestia said, all sound ceasing in the courtyard and making the disgraced changeling glare at the Sunbringer as the alicorn spoke her lines. "In accordance with the laws of this land, and the laws of the changeling kingdom, the following rights have been hereby revoked:"

A drum roll carried on.

"The right to quarter… suspended."

A drum roll carried on.

"The right to call assembly… suspended."

A drum roll carried on.

"The right to trial… suspended."

A drum roll carried on.

"In accordance with the laws of the First Mother, Head Queen Fluttershy has found you guilty of all crimes against both ponykind and changelings, and…" Celestia briefly paused, steeling herself before saying the words there were no coming back from as the guards placed the noose around Themis' neck. "Have been sentenced to hang by the neck until dead. At this time, if you have any last words or plead for mercy, now is the time to do so."

The air stilled in anticipation, and even the falling rain seemed to mute its pitter patter as every pony and changeling looked at the figure standing on the saffoldfold. Themis looked at them all, seeing and feeling the judgement that came from each of their eyes, their stories of horror and pain battering at her defenses like miniature bugbears but still her resolve remained strong and swatted it all away. With the drums in the background, a mirthful grin crossed her face as she looked at the balcony.

"The queen… and her drones… overwhelmed the throne…
Turning her heart… to stone…
And as she rose… to power,
Her soul… did sour…
Now, its her last… hour…

"F-fluttershy," Rainbow said, everyone in earshot sharing the same slack-jawed expression at hearing Themis' beautifully haunting tones, soft like a gentle spring breeze and the complete opposite of her normal menacing demeanor. "Is… is her last words going to be her singing?"

"Indeed she is Rainbow," Fluttershy was humored by the sudden change in disposition Themis was showing, even waving off pulling the trap door with a simple command over the hive mind to allow the former queen to finish. As Themis opened her mouth to resume, a slight grin pursed the corner of her butter-yellow lips. "And so it shall be."

"Come… one… and… all
And see… her final fall…
Through battles won, and battles lost…
Now she pays her cost…

Many died, and many lived…
As she stole and fibbed…
And as she ruled, from a throne so high…
Others… soon saw the lies…

Come… one… and… all…
And hear, the drum roll call…
Through battles won, and battles lost…
Now she pays her cost…

Her crimes of old, have surfaced fresh…
Now, they'll take her breath!
A symbol of… how things used… to be…
So changelings can be free!

Come one and all
Make heed, don't stall…
And see… her final fall…
Through battles won, and battles lost…
Now she pays her cost…

Come one and all,
Stand upon the wall…
And hear, the drum roll call…
Through battles won and battles lost…
Now she pays her cost…

The queen… and her drones… overwhelmed the throne…
Turning her heart… to stone…
And as she rose… to power,
Her soul… did sour…
Now, its her last… hourrrrrr…"

Unity and Reunions

Life.

Ever since the beginning of time, ponies often wondered what was its meaning. Was it just a simulation? An elaborate arcade game in which they were just characters, controlled by some unknown, higher presence that lurked right under their noses. Many philosophers had noted in case studies that everyday pony society followed a strict set of patterns and probabilities, but every attempt that was brought to Celestia was quickly and quietly dismissed.

Was it a meaning of existing? Nopony had been able to trace back to the first pony, or a griffin, or dragon, and all attempts to go further back than six generations before Celestia and Luna led to dead ends.

Yet, at the other end of the spectrum, death was certain for every creature. When that exact time happened was factored by a lot of different situations and circumstances, with everything from cancer to old age being natural causes, but unfortunately, there were times when one's life was cut short by their actions.

For ponies, this often meant that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, crushed under debris from a rogue monster attack or suffered a fatal blow from a runaway cart. For dragons, that meant losing their entire horde and causing their flame to die out. Griffins and yaks were victims of stabbings over gold and yak rages, respectively, but the cruelest fate was for changelings who had the gall to disobey the First Mother's rulings.

Fault Line was one such changeling.

With his deed done, and punishment carried out, he had been left to rot in the Badlands sun; teetering in the void of limbo between life and death as his soul waited for his body to give up on him. He knew he was bound to go to a place of evil and malice, where the only love there was available being diluted and buried under the intense force of hatred, greed, and corruption. A place where no matter how much he fought and clawed for the thin wisps of the sustained emotion, it would never be enough, damned to an eternity of hunger that would drive him mad. All the while, timberwolves of fire would crew at his chitin, making him scream in agony due to not being able to defend himself from the magicless void that place was.

"Where did I go wrong…" Fault Line thought, his question being lost to the vast emptiness he floated in."I served My Queen well, going above and beyond the call of duty whenever she summoned me for missions. I've effortlessly replaced Celestia's cook, seen the secret blackmail of the Crystal Empire, and was even an accountant for Dragon Lord Ember! I've seen it all, done it all, and put the needs of the entire hive on my shell to prevent it from collapsing due to starvation.

"Alas, it wasn't good enough! Those ponies and their meddlesome ways corrupted my brother, making him lose his reasoning when it came to siding with me. First Mother be DAMNED, DAMNED I SAY! My Queen is the one who shall conquer all, not those colorful false prophets of hope. They are nothing more than cheap imitations, and to make it better they turned their backs on their species. Soon they will see… oh how they will see…"

An unknown amount of time, to him, had passed since he had entered this limbo stat, so when he saw a speck of light in the distance it filled him with apprehension. Slowly the speck grew, in both size and luminosity, a swirling pool of the color spectrum that brought forth a sense of life as if the universe itself had opened and showed him the fundamental basis of existence.

Peace…
Harmony…

Those two words reverberated in his mind, a soft, tender female voice that spoke with the gentleness but firmness of a mother teaching their foal something valuable. He could feel its warmth wrap around him like a warm, fuzzy blanket as the brightness reached maximum intensity and forcing him to shield his eyes from whatever fate awaited him.

However, soon he felt the vague sensation of a cloud mattress, the ones that hospitals used in trauma wards to keep their patients as comfortable as possible for extended stays. This made him open his eyes, only to be met with tranquil blue pupils staring back at him…

Except, those pupils were those of a queen.

"Gah!" Fault tried his best to move from the captivating lure he was facing, but found his efforts futile from the restraints and tubes that were holding him in place and providing him with a concentrated love IV. "Where am I?! What are you doing here, you imposter of a queen? Themis has a grand plan, one that will establish her as the one in charge, and reveal your hive as the weaklings you are. Those precious ponies you call friends will now before the might of Queen Themis, the Supreme Ruler of Eques!"

"It is a pity, really it is," Fluttershy said, sitting by the bed as she kept looking at Fault Line with a sad frown. "You will never fly or be able to use magic again, your shapeshifting limited to beings with no horn or wings, yet even while receiving proper care you are still full of anger and hatred. Why is that? Is it because me and my friends have furthered our species from near extinction to achieve feats that even your former queen never thought possible? Or is it a sense of jealousy, knowing that the Fallen One's hive rose like a phoenix from its ashes to become the most powerful hive in the Collective?"

"As if I would tell you!" Fault Line spat, only for it to come out as a gurgled mess that ended with him in a wheezing coughing fit. "That would be aiding the enemy, which would prove destructive to My Queen's grand plans."

"In case you have forgotten, you don't have a queen anymore," Fluttershy said, her horn softly glowing as she internally scanned Fault Line for any damage that might have been missed. "Loss of hivemind connections in your brainwaves, which I can feel, show it was severed rather violently. This means you are a queenless drone, so anything you tell me will have no repercussions from her. Not to mention, any information you give me that can minimize Themis' attempt will be seen in your favor for when she is stopped."

"You think you are so smug, trying to have me slip my hoof to give up my secrets," Fault's face was twisted into a scowl, which he was trying to hold despite the dull pain coming from his forehead. "Unfortunately, she is always three steps ahead, and by the time this conversation is over she would have fractured your precious little Conv-"

"Do you want to live, little drone?"

"Wha..." Fluttershy's question stopped Fault Line dead in his tracks, causing him to silently blink several times as he processed it. "What kind of game are you playing? You were correct when you sensed I have no hivemind, because in accordance with the First Mother's laws, what was done to me was the penalty for the crime I committed."

"You mean the same laws where it states a criminal drone is to be brought forth to the Head Queen for proper sentencing?" Fluttershy smirked, having used her poker playing abilities to her advantage by hiding a few cards under her shell. "Or, did Themis covalently disregard that part and make you a discarded asset because she saw it as a threat to her plans?"

"That's preposterous!" Fault said, rage swelling like lava in a magma chamber. "She would never do such a thing. I have always been one of her best, following every command, what makes you say such blasphemous things?"

"She is in longer your queen," Fluttershy said, leveling her tone and gaining a serious look on her face. "You had to do something bad to have the punishment you were given, and should be thankful that two of Rainbow's and Twilight's drones found you while doing a training patrol. Is your head that heavy on pride that you can't see what is reality? You were left for dead, so, is there any use still trying to proclaim a losing ideology? The way I see it you have two choices, either cooperate and I will make sure you are well taken care of, or I can have you on a one-way flight to the center of the Badlands. The choice is yours."

"Keeping it simple for me huh?" Fault said, slowly thinking over everything that Fluttershy had spoken and finding, much to his dismay, she was right about everything. "Ok, lets say that I cooperate, what would I get in return? I have killed your kind before, I've done horrific acts that left my victims traumatized for fun, so what could you give me that would have me side with you?"

"You have killed other changelings then," Fluttershy said, taking a deep sigh but never losing her regal composure. "That was in the past, and as the Head Queen I can issue a pardon. Should you take the offer and help bring her down, you will be given a full pardon ship by me for all past crimes, enough love to hold you over for three months, and be placed with a guardian pony that will provide you with a place to stay and a job."

"A guardian pony? Such a laughable concept," Fault said, snorting a bit as he tried to chuckle. "What purpose would that serve for me? Perhaps, to keep me 'inline' per se, making sure that I don't try to kidnap any more ponies? That feels like slavery, or as you stupid ponies say, a 'villainy redemption program'. It will never work, for it is against the changeling way!"

"So, by ensuring a steady love supply for everyling, and making sure all love stores are maxed out, I am going against the changeling way?" Fluttershy rose off the floor, towering over the bedridden drone. "You can't pick which laws you choose to follow for your own benefit, it is either follow all of them or none of them. As the Head Queen, I am held to a higher and stricter standard because I have to answer for all actions of every changeling, including those of your former queen. Now remove those rose-colored glasses and give me an answer, what are you going to do?"

"F-fine, I'll cooperate," Fault said, never changing his unreadable expression. "However, I want a few token things in return. You say you can give a full pardon? Fine by me, but you will have to guarantee any pony, or creature for that matter, who tries to judge me for my past will be arrested and given trial."

"That's surprisingly reasonable, and doable," Fluttershy was surprised at the addendum, since it was something that actually would help in the long term. "Anything else you request, or is that it?"

"I have a few more items," Fault's repl6 was one that she had expected, but she still inwardly groaned. "First being that I get front row seats to whatever punishment you give Themis. Second, make sure she can't injure me any more than I already am. Third, I want a complete file on the pony that you are going to assign me to. Last, but not least, a jumbo chocolate love smoothie."

"Done," Fluttershy said, leaning in close as a folder with a muffin on it appeared in Fault Line's lap. "Now start talking."

It had been two months since Fault Line had agreed to the deal, and in the time since the collective anxiety of Canterlot's nobility had reached critical levels. Every day a new rumor made its way around the noble gossip circles, with everything from another invasion to suspecting other houses of being changelings in disguise were often brought up, with all accusations resulting in dismissal.

However, inside the throne room of the castle, there was a noble who was more anxious than everypony in Canterlot combined.

"What is taking her so long?!" Spoiled said, having worn a small circular rut in the floor from how much she had paced. "It is nearly noon, she promised she would be here by now!"

"Now Spoiled," Filthy said, sighing as he watched his wife continue her pacing and having given up several hours prior on trying to stop her. "She said that she will be here before Day Court begins, so therefore she has another two hours in her window before she is late. I am just as worried about Diamond as you are, but you still have to show that you can handle yourself in stressful situations. If you don't, other houses in the district will see you as a weakling, do I need to remind you that you married into my status?"

"No love, you don't," Spoiled said, finally giving up her pacing and leaned on Filthy's shoulder. "I guess it is true what they say about old habits dying hard."

"It is worse when you are as old as I am," Celestia's statement announced her presence, making the couple now before her. "I just received a letter from Spike, he said that Fluttershy is entering Canterlot as we speak, but she wants you both to remain here because she has business to address with me and wants it all done in one go."

"Well, we've been waiting for two months, I guess a few more minutes won't hurt," Spoiled said, gluing her eyes on the door, and a few minutes later the Head Queen herself entered. "I'm surprised that you are already here, for Day Court is not for a few more hours. Is Diamond with you?"

"I gave myself that window just in case something came up, that way I would have an excuse to be in the proceedings." Fluttershy said, sighing before gesturing behind her with a hoof. "Diamond is in the hallway with her friends, however, I must warn you that there was an unforeseen situation that was part of her rescue."

"Unforeseen situation?" Spoiled tone briefly cracked as her lip quivered, a sharp wave of fear coming off her and hitting Fluttershy like diamond-hard icicles. "Is my little princess ok? She isn't disabled or anything serious I hope."

"Physically, she is in perfect health," Fluttershy said, stressing the word 'physically' before Spoiled could press any further. "However, mentally is nervous about rejoining you and Filthy, and that leads into the situation I mentioned. One of Themis' drones got it in his head that the best way to prove his loyalty to his queen was by doing an ancient ritual to turn Diamond into a drone, one that would be a member of Themis' hive. The ritual is strictly forbidden, as deemed by the First Mother herself, and Themis had to carry the judgment to have him punished by those guidelines.

"Unfortunately, the process is irreversible, so the plan shifted from a simple rescue to trying to preserve as much of Diamond's free will as we possibly could. We got her back to the hive and put her in a pod while pumping her full of a mix of magic, friendship, and positive emotions. She spent three weeks in it just to ensure that there would be no lasting negative impacts, and after she hatched we put her on a crash course on changeling abilities. She has become a great flier and is top of her class clutch in multitasking while using magic."

"Oh…" Spoiled's demeanor visually dropped along with her shoulders, her excitement dimming a little after Fluttershy finished her explanation. "I can see why she would be nervous, especially after all I put your hive through with laws and allegations, but she is still my daughter and I still love her the same. Can I see her?"

"You may," Fluttershy said, a smile lighting up her face. "As I said, her and the others are out in the hall, but please use a low voice since they are doing a mini-study group for a class project."

"I will," Spoiled said, heading for the door but pausing before reaching it as she looked up at the Queen of Kindness. "And thank you for keeping your word."

"No problem," Fluttershy's smile grew, relieved that Spoiled had taken everything better than she hoped to be possible. "Although, how about you listen in on them first, they are pretty deep into the details of the project and it would be rude to distract them."

And listen she did.

"I can't help but feel that we are overlooking something obvious," Scootaloo was fin-deep in notes, but had become frustrated enough to speak her concerns. "Queen Sparkle giving us this as 'extra credit', with a guaranteed A from Cheerilee if we pull it off? Seems fishy to me."

"We wouldn't even be in this mess if you had kept your mouth shut!" Sweetie said, huffing as she glared at her friend. "I know that our queens spent a lot of resources trying to find us, but kissing up by having us do Queen Sparkle's backlog is not the way to do it!"

"Girls, please," Silver Spoon buzzed her smokey grey wings, a hoof under her chin as she gently tugged the two bickering drones' ears with her silver-colored magic. "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere with this. Queen Sparkle gave us a month, which ends in five days, and despite no punishment if we fail this assignment I rather all of us give it the best shot we can. After all, what are we?"

"THE CUTIE MAGIC CHANGELINGS!" Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom exclaimed, their shout echoing down the hall and making a few guards cower in fear.

"Exactly," Silver released her grip on the two, choosing instead to levitate up some papers as she brushed her grey and purple-hued fin with a hoof. "The thing that bothers me the most is that Queen Sparkle didn't even clue us in as to what she was even researching. All we have to go on is photos of Discord's clue board consisting of a pencil sketch of a yarn ball, a partially eaten bowl of spaghetti with one intact meatball and one that is obliterated, a capital letter Q, a map of Eques, and Celestia and Luna's cutie marks."

"None of those items correlate," Apple Bloom remarked, rubbing her own forehead as she tried to fight off an oncoming headache. "We got a cat toy, food, the planet, a letter of the alphabet, and the Canterlot sisters' cutie marks. Considering that Discord gave Queen Sparkle the clues, they are meant to be chaotically entwined. Question is, how?"

"We've been trying to figure that out since day one!" Scootaloo complained, slumping to the floor as she let the papers she was holding in her magic gently fall. "When you toss in the star charts and we have unlimited access to high altitude weather balloons to make measurements with, it makes less sense with more questions! Maybe we should give up, I made a mistake, time to own up to it."

"No…" Four sets of eyes turned to the fifth drone in the group. She was a hair larger than the others, with a silken mane and tail and a tiny set of bottom fangs. On her head sat a miniature crown that matched the one on her flanks. She spoke with a soft but firm tone, one that gave the others pause as she looked at them with a neutral expression. "We just agreed a few minutes ago to press on, so there is no turning back. I have been sitting here in silence thinking everything over as you all discussed what we have before us. Yes, the individual pieces don't add up, but when you take into consideration I have spent all my free time the past few weeks at the Royal Observatory and have had several meetings with Princess Luna, everything makes more sense than you realize.

"One thing I am grateful for is the fact, as changelings, our minds develop faster than they would have if we had remained fillies. This has allowed me to think on levels I never had before, and part of that is the ability to read between the lines. Long story short, Discord showed Queen Sparkle why Celestia and Luna need to turn the world each day, because it was hit by one of its moons in the distant past and halted the planet's rotation. He told it through Pictionary."

That got everyone's attention, and caused Celestia to activate a few of the castles built in wards to ensure only the five drones, Fluttershy, Spoiled, Filthy, and herself remembered anything from the conversation taking place as a bubble of silence formed around the two parties.

"Now hold on a sec," Apple Bloom said, the others scooting back a few inches out of precaution. "We all learned in Cheerilee's class that they move the sun and moon, and Luna crafts the sky each night, are you accusing her of lying?"

"Lying? No, but rather an unknowing pawn," Diamond levitated one of her snack apples, which she had not started to eat, and suspended it in the center of the group before adding two grapes orbiting around it. "I am going to use this as a scale demonstration, so pay attention. Early Eques, per my hypothesis, is represented by the apple and the two moons by the grapes. Notice the orbits are in equilibrium, that is because the gravitational fulcrum is directly at Eques' core. Follow so far?"

"Yeahhh," Scootaloo said, drawing out the word with a slow increase in pitch as she figuratively arched an eyebrow. "The orbits would be uniform, with the coasts getting tides from either moon depending on which side of the world you were on. Still, if your theory is right, what happened to the other moon?"

"Discord," Diamond's answer seemed to chill the air, as if the molecules themselves shuddered at the Lord of Chaos' name. "It is documented, and verified in my talks with Princess Luna, that he roamed free in the days before they ruled. In fact, it is because of his pranks that Celestia's fur is white, but he still was a massive pain in the flank for their parents. My theory is that he made the second moon hit Eques, obliterating that moon and a piece of the planet in the process."

Silence reigned around both groups, and even Diamond's parents could not prevent their jaws from dropping at their daughter's startling revelation. Fluttershy seemed impressed, a gentle smile of approval forming as she noticed Celestia pale. However, none of them said a word as Sweetie Belle spoke up.

"If what you say is true," The egg-white drone was busy writing down formulas, the hive mind allowing her to multitask while doing so. "Then how come the planet didn't disintegrate on impact? Let alone, if the planet somehow came out pretty unscathed, there would be some sort of crater to show that there was a strike. However, all world and ocean maps have no existence of one, so how do you explain that?"

"It was a glancing blow," Diamond said, moving the position of one of the grapes so it hit the apple with enough force to slow its spin while all the juice from the grape was on the surface of the apple and dripping to the floor. "The moon got ripped apart in the process, but the planet did not come out fully unscathed. I have reason to believe that our world is not a perfect sphere like every globe projects, but rather there is a significant chunk missing on the far side where the globes show a vast endless sea.

"In addition, the impact robbed Eques of its angular momentum, making the planet cease to rotate and was knocked far enough off the original axis to bring the Frozen North into existence. Evidence of this can be observed by remembering that without both princesses, the sun and moon are observed in the sky at the same time. Not only that, when Celestia raises the sun and Luna the moon, they remain stationary until it is time to lower them. It also explains why pegasus magic has evolved to move the weather, because there is no planetary spin to do it on its own."

"Diamond Tiara," Celestia's voice caused the drones to jump, not realizing the princess and the other adults had approached. They all felt the alicorn giving off a sense of accomplishment, while Diamond felt a sense of pride being directed at her from her smiling parents. "The fact you took bits of information from Discord and your own research and pieced together a part of Eques' past that is not known to anyone except me, Lulu, and Discord is truly remarkable. You cracked a code even my brightest student could not beat, and show the wisdom of a mare far beyond your years. Well done, and you took control of an escalating situation and derailed it in a way that shows you will be a fine queen in your own right one day."

"Queen?" Spoiled turned her attention from Diamond to Fluttershy, the Head Queen now looking rather sheepish. "You didn't mention anything about that in the room."

"Yes, mother, a queen," Diamond stood up and approached, her steps slow and deliberate as she mimicked the strut Fluttershy often used in the presence of dignitaries. "Queen Sparkle hypothesized it is due to my noble blood interacting with the love and friendship that was pumped into me to prevent me from losing myself to Themis' sinister clutches. I do hope that isn't a problem, your little princess leading a full army of drones, and being one of the creatures you so despised."

"N-no," Spoiled stammered, withering a bit under Diamond's pointed words. "I have spent the last few months trying to undo the damage that was done on that front. I have inquired with Madame Velvet on how to organize a shift at my milk plants that is entirely made of changeling workers."

"And Mrs. Velvet works for me as my hival secretary, convenient dontcha think?" Diamond smirked, giggling a bit at her mother's blank look. "She is doing the day-to-day stuff until my body has grown enough to properly take the throne, but all important matters are run by my hooves to sign off on. When I do take the throne, Silver will be my second."

"No surprise there, you two have always been rather close," Filthy said, looking at the moondust-colored drone. "So Silver, why did you decide to become a changeling? I hope your parents didn't give you too much hassle over it since they have been one of the more accepting houses."

"They made me love drunk with how much they funneled into me when I went to talk to them," Silver giggled, an embarrassed blush creeping up her cheeks. "I mean, they literally gave me enough love to the point I got drunk. I'm still their little filly, and they are excited to see how I will do with my new role. To answer your first question, the reason why I became a changeling is because I felt bad about Diamond losing her ponyhood, so I asked the Harmony Queens to make me a drone out of support for her."

"Which was much appreciated," Diamond said, smiling at Silver as she picked up where her friend left off. "The reason she didn't end up a queen despite her noble blood is because the goo in her cocoon was no different than the mix that was used to convert the CMC."

"That's all well and good Diamond," Spoiled's tone had dramatically darkened, piercing into Fluttershy like a dragon stalking its prey. "However, I want to know what sort of punishment is in store for the queen that thought it would be a wise idea to fillynap my daughter."

"That's actually what I came to talk to Celestia about," Fluttershy said, clearing her throat as she met the Princess of the Day in the eyes. "Princess Celestia of Equestria, I, Queen Fluttershy of the Harmony Hive, request that Themis be kept in the Canterlot dungeons for the next week. She will be under close guard each night by one of my coqueens, and at noon of the seventh day I want her brought to the courtyard to be beheaded for all to see. That Is my sentence for all the crimes she has committed, do you grant these terms?"

"I-..." Celestia stammered, just as shocked as the Riches that the normally timid mare had issued a sentence so harsh. "Are you sure that you want to do that? You personally redeemed Discord, if you can redeem him after all the crimes he has done, why can't you do the same with her?"

"The difference is he cares," Fluttershy did not drop her stern look, only solidifying it with traces of her Stare. "Themis has no regrets, and she made it perfectly clear that she would want ponies on their knees serving her than be redeemed. She is a lost cause, and even a stint in Tartarus wouldn't be good enough. I believe it to be the best course of action, for changelings and our allies, to ensure prosperity without worrying about retaliation. All drones in her hive that still sided with her have been dealt with, the rest are the start of Diamond's reign on the throne."

"Very well," Celestia sighed, lowering her head in a slight nod. "I will have my couriers get the word out with haste. Bring her to the dungeon after sundown, that will give my guards time to prep the cell with the necessary magic suppressing wards."

"I shall report back then with Themis and Rarity, who agreed to take first watch," Fluttershy gathered her magic, her horn softly glowing as she readied a teleport spell. "I will let the Covenant know that you granted permission for extradition to be executed, and let Twilight know to expect a letter from you verifying Diamond's findings. Until we meet again, may Harmony guide your way."

Author's Note

One chapter remains...