I was sitting in my sleeping quarters, practicing my magic, which mainly means I was shape-shifting while levitating items and doing different things with each. I was swinging a sword, holding a shield, reading a book, and still changing shapes. I was rather bored, my mother, the malevolent Queen Chrysalis, didn't like to see me much, so I just hung out in my room to minimize that chance. I was doing these things when a Changeling soldier burst through my "door", more like a board, and gave me the most terrifying four words of my life.
"The Queen wants you, Prince Daku." He huffed between breaths, considering he just came from the other side of the Hive chambers, another way to avoid my mother.
"Thank you" I said.
"I'm sorry" He huffed one last time.
"...........Thank you"
He left me alone, and I promptly sat up, put everything down on my shelf in it's place, and exited my room. I looked at the dull black walls surrounding me on all sides, lit only by sparse torches, and I extended my wings and took off towards my mother's throne room. As I came closer, the black walls became more brownish and decorated with murals of supposed Hive victories, not like we have had any in the last thousand years. The murals ranged further and further back in time as I flew closer to the dreaded throne room. I finally reached it, Queen Chrysalis was sitting on her black throne, pulsing with energy, the mural of the first Hive Queen hanging ominously behind her. I shivered as I landed in front of her, remembering our last few encounters, which included a few bruises.
"You took your time" Queen Chrysalis said unemotionally.
"My room is far, but I flew as fast as I could" I responded cautiously, she responded with a grunt and motioned for a female changeling to approach her, the changeling handed her a paper, which then floated to me through the Queen's magic. I caught it with my own magic and brought it to me.
"You are to go to Equestria and give them these demands, negotiate if you have to, but do not give them any means of controlling us!" She said menacingly. I was shaken , but not afraid, this was less than what she would normally do to me, but, I still needed to ask.
"Why should we? I thought we were winning the war with these ponies." the look on her face reminded me of many times before when she got angry, the look of things she is thinking of doing to me.
"Are you questioning your Queen?" She said, standing up, inches taller me.
"No, I wouldn't ever." I repeated the old phrase, it was the way to appease her.....most of the time.
"Get out." She growled, which I immediately obeyed. I flew out and my thoughts finally came,
Now why would mother attempt to reason with these ponies? I know we didn't lose the war, but it wasn't going too well, especially after that new princess and her friends joined, but that itself shouldn't destroy the Hive empire.
I shook my head, it all didn't make sense, but I did know one thing, and that was Chrysalis would never send any of her three daughters, Malus, Alveare, and Mortuus est. Mortuus est, however, I believe is the worse, she enjoys torture and control even more than our mother, which is how the Queen and her oldest daughter get along so well. Alveare, she keeps to herself, if anyone but the Queen disturbs her, she will get evil, thus is the nature of the youngest sister. Malus, she.... she is actually the kindest, though her name says differently. She isn't too friendly, but she is loyal and secretly helps me every now and then. I would actually follow her as queen, though she is the middle sister.
I hope this isn't some way to get rid of her son, I wouldn't put this past her.
She had tried before, sending me to known ambushes, putting poison in my food, beating me, torturing me, starving me. You name it, she has tried it all, except openly challenging me, and anything requiring other hive members. She knows I would then win over major support, and she knows i am the stronger of us two. She knows my magic has been honed and my combat skills on a whole different level than even the generals. However, I know you are questioning why I let her do these things to me. If I openly go against the queen without proper reasoning or even to support another queen rising, then I will be executed by the hive as a whole. This is just a game we play, she knows the moment I stand up against her, it is the moment she should be worried.
I flew out of the mountain, I looked behind me, shadows engulfing the valley and me, this was home, whether I liked it or not, and I knew I would have to come back. The valley only went one way from here, and that was North, so I flew on towards the desert that separated Equestria and the Hive Empire. It was a five mile journey to the desert alone, and then it was another three miles to Equestria, the only reason I know this is that I have studied maps of Equestria, the Hive Empire, and the Crystal Empire. As I approached the desert I landed at the only lake nearby here and took a long drink, I knew this would be the hardest part of the trip. This seemed to be Mother's favorite torture, sending me on trips without a single piece of equipment. I know I could steal some, but it is actually useful training, learning how to survive without things.
I continued my journey on hoof, if I flew, I would be easily seen by the guards that protect the Southern edge of their precious country. That just made it harder for me, not only that, the unicorns seem to always create new ways to detect changelings, making disguise not a smart choice. However, this spell is mainly shared at the border, so after this, things get a whole lot easier. I squatted down as I approached the hill that separated me from the border patrol, I looked over the hill to see where they were. I then heard a thump behind me, and a loud grunt.
"Now, what is the Changeling Prince Daku doing near our border?"
I was back at the Hive Kingdom, only, I was smaller, Mother liked me, and Father was still alive. I looked around, I was beside Father, in the smallest of the three thrones, my father in the second smallest. He looked aver at Mother, standing in front of us, out of her throne.
"Daku, we need to tell you something..." She started
"We're having another child in the family, you're no longer going to be a lone child anymore." He smiled, and I smiled with him, I had always wanted a sibling. I always imagined what we might do together as siblings, but there was more.
"Son, this means you have to start battle training." Father said with all due seriousness, I knew this day would come, but with me having a sibling, it was my duty to serve and protect, considering it built trust within the Hive. It also lessened the need for Hive Mind, which forces subjects to obey your will, so long as there is no competition.
"OK, I will do my best, I won't disappoint you, Dad." I said in earnest, I knew I would keep that promise.
"I know you will, Son, I know you will."
I woke up suddenly, water dripping off of me, the memory fading away softly. I was in a tent, presumably near the border where I was beaten by six guards I could have killed. I mean, I could, but that isn't the exact impression you want to leave with three princesses you are visiting during war. I looked around, I was tied to the pole holding up the tent, which was rather thin, and facing away from the entrance. I looked at the pony who rudely threw water on me, he was almost as dark as me, minus the shine, and he was wearing gold armor rather than the silver the others had. He gave me a disgusted look and grunted.
"What are you doing here?" He growled
"Well, I was having a nice stroll in the desert before I decided to visit the neighboring kingdom's border. I smiled, this was what I liked best, ponies are told not to abuse prisoners, so we Changelings take great pride in how mad we can make a pony.
"Ok, next question, where is your army?"
"I think I left them by my invisible battle ram, or was it near the oasis?" I smiled at the aggravated look on his face, then I laughed when he turned to his fellow guard and told him to question me. The other fellow came up to me and planted himself..
"I appreciate the humor, but we have business to attend to, so answer staight" He said with a slight grin on his face.
"Fine, but could you loosen this knot on my hooves?" I said as charmingly as I could, The pony shook his head, and looked at me with more seriousness.
"Why are you here?" He stated plainly.
"Finally, a proper question that I feel like answering" I laughed, then I took on the same seriousness, " I'm here to deliver a message from my Queen"
The guard seemed confused, "Why send you? Why not just a foot soldier?"
I growled at this, "To show the sincerity of her offer, why else?"
This is probably another way for her to attempt to get me killed, tell them that, they probably wouldn't have a problem helping her.
The guard seemed to consider this, then he stepped out of my sight, though I could sense him and his comrades talking before he left. I waited for a while, I think it was about an hour or so, and I was pretty bored. I started changing my shape, often to one of the Princesses and guards, once for fun I did Shining Armor. This happened for about another hour when one of my guards yelled out.
"STOP THAT!!!!!!!"
"I'm bored!" I replied.
"The lieutenant is coming!" he sighed exasperatedly.
"It's been too long!" I groaned, just then the same black pony from earlier stepped in my view, looking even angrier than before.
"We've been told to escort you to the Princesses camp, but we are not releasing you, in case you try to escape." He finished haughtily. I said nothing to this, this was what I wanted, kind of. I'll see the Princesses, give them the letter, then go back home, hopefully. They put my hooves in chains and lead me out of the tent, which was surrounded by more tents, nothing special or particularly interesting. All four started flying, the lieutenant jerking me ahead, and we flew in a Northwestern direction. The landscape changed little, grass, small bushes, perhaps a hill here or there. The wildlife was just as sparse, which was probably why the ponies chose this as their defended border, so none of their precious creatures get a scratch on them. This ponies need more backbone to them, then maybe they could be something to be feared. We flew for three miles when we got to a large mass of tents with one very large tent that took up about half the space in the field. We circled about four times over the entirety of the camp before landing in front of the largest tent.
Must be some kind of code, better note that.
We waited for a guard to step out, actually four of them, and they all escorted me in a box-like formation.
Eight ponies to escort one Changeling? Have they heard about me, then?
It was disturbing, all the security, it was either they were this tight, which would make escape hard, or they heard about my arrival. That would make them even more cautious then usual. Hopefully, it's the first, if the latter, then I'm screwed. I looked around as I was brought to the apparent meeting area, it was a simple hall, if you could call it that in a tent. Near the end was a little table with battle positions on it, but, could that be right?
Could the ponies really have pushed us back to our border?
I changed my focus, finally, to the.....
WHY ARE THERE FOUR PRINCESSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????
I couldn't believe it, how could have another Alicorn rise without the whole of the Hive hearing about it? I studied all four Princesses, there was Celestia, white with the ridiculous multi-colored mane of hers. Then there was Luna, blue with a darker blue mane, not much of a color spectrum, but better than Ceslestia's. There was....um.... Cadence, yeah, this would be the second we would have with her. She was pink with the swirling purple, pink, and yellow mane. These ponies need to go through a major makeover, look more regal. Then there was this new one, purple with a darker purple mane, not that bad, about a six out of the ten scale of powerful looking.... wait no, she's smiling, make that a three, Luna being a seven. At least she can make you not laugh, the others not so much. However, not all ponies can incinerate you as fast as they look at you, so respect is due.
"Princess Celestia, it is nice to finally meet you." I said with a bow and practiced smile, Celestia and her sister looked unamused, Cadence looked pissed, not without reason, I was the one who hid her in the caves under the Canterlot Castle. The new Princess seemed like she was surprised at my size, probably she doesn't realize who I am, and how big we Royals can be.
"As well, Prince Daku, now, we were told you carry a message from your Queen?" Celestia gave the formal response, but with something more than the normal formality, almost like as if she was wary.
"Yes, " I pulled out the message from my mane, releasing the magic on it to hide it and set it on the floor, "She wishes for a negotiation between you and I." I watched as one of the guards grabbed it and offered it to Celestia, and as she was reading, I looked behind the Princesses......where I saw a hostile-looking light blue pegasis glaring at me from behind a curtain. She had a rainbow mane, but brighter then Celestia's, more vivid. We started a stare-off, neither of us willing to break the showdown, when Celestia cleared her throat and set the letter beside Cadence, who read it and.....smiled.
Oh for the hive's sake! What did Mother send me into!!
I stood still, eyes focused on Celestia, she was giving me an almost pitying look, she then spoke.
"Did you, read this? Before you delivered it?" She asked, warily, the same look on her face.
"I don't tend to enter my queen's business, I'm just the messenger." I said, worry shoring up on the sides of my mind.
"Well, according to this, your also the negotiation." She said.
"WHAT!?" I screamed, earning the guards to step closer to me.
I'm an idiot! Charging into enemy territory with a letter Mother made herself? OF COURSE!!!
Celestia continued, "I know you may not believe me, but, according to this, your Queen is willing to give up you to save her kingdom, and she will stop her raids on our Kingdoms."
I looked down, I had nothing to say, what could I say? "Oh, hey, that won't do you any good, my mother hates me so you will be doing her a favor, then she will kill you all"? Yeah, that would go down well, not like they would execute me soon afterwards. So I just stayed silent, and I stayed silent as they sent me further out of hearing distance with my escort. Cadence seemed to be personally enjoying this, but then she looked not very happy after Celestia said something, which Luna agreed to, and the pathetic purple one nodded to it as well. I stayed still and quiet, and I was currently planning to keep that going for the next several years when I heard a commotion from ahead but coming closer. I looked up and saw that a yellow pony with pink hair was being pushed towards me by an orange pony with yellow hair, who was in turned being pulled away by the blue pony from earlier. They were making slow progress, it almost made me smile, the guards around me certainly did. When they finally made it to me, the orange one let herself get dragged away, the yellow one seemed frozen, all the more so with me looking at her, and the blue one seemed to be measuring me for battle. I looked down at the yellow one, and I think she was talking, but not making any sound, then she looked at me expectantly.
"I didn't get that?" I said, which seemed to make her all the more nervous. I sat down and sighed, one of my guards gave me a look that was between aggravation and exasperation. I shook my head, and then Celestia summoned us back, when I looked where the yellow pegasis was, she had already made a beeline for her friends.
Well, I shouldn't expect any different.
Celestia and her fellow Princesses were standing when we came back. Celestia looked as if she had a great plan, Luna looked like she was copying her sister, the purple one had a nervous smile, and Cadence looked as if she was almost.....repentant? that was weird, one little talk from the other princesses and she changes her mind? I don't think that's likely, but as we came closer, the Princesses looked at me with that pitying look again. I really wished that stopped that, I'm a prince!
"Well, according to the conditions your Queen gave about your capture, we are to keep you in our dungeons, she also stated not to torture you for information." Celestia stated plainly, but with that cursed smile.
Good one, Mother
"So? Does that mean you will then? Or even better, will you just execute me to save you the trouble of holding me?" I said, almost mockingly, i was feeling pretty alive at that moment. Actually, I think I was hoping for that last suggestion. I waited as Celestia shook her head, looked at the purple princess, then looked back at me.
"No, actually, I think we will put you in our temporary prison here, and while your there, Twilight and her friends will keep you company." Celestia said, almost too happily
"And who are they? The Royal Prison Guards?" I asked, then I saw the purple one step forward, and she smiled.
"No, it's me." Princess Twilight said.
