The Love of an Apple

I frowned as I hit the ground, I moaned “Urghh, what happened?” I remember I threw myself in front of Cara and then all went blank. I noticed my hooves were larger and covered in goop. I realised I was in my bathroom, I got into a shower and quickly turned the water on. I rubbed soap over my body and I touched my forehead and realised I had a horn. I screamed as I was unsure of what had happened to me.

Cara galloped in and asked “Are ya okay Applejack?”

I asked trembling “What happened to me?”

Cara replied “Ah had to convert ya or else ya would’ve died.”

I opened my mouth to shout when Applebloom galloped in. She gave me a big hug as she said “Applejack, Ah’m so glad your back.”

I stared at Cara and asked trembling “Why?”

Cara replied “Ya were dying and Ah wasn’t about to leave Applebloom without her big sis.” Cara then said “Applebloom you can ask her later, we have many important things to discuss.” Applebloom left the room silently as Cara sighed.

I wondered what that was about but I knew I had to say something about what happened. I said looking at my hooves “Ah'm sorry sugarcube, not just about this misunderstanding but Ah also reacted poorly to your true self Ah’m sorry.”

Cara said “That’s alright, mah Sweet Apple. Ah won’t let ya go again.” I blushed at her pet name for me. She then said “Since ya a Queen Ah’ll have to show ya around plus ya have a lot to learn about leadership.” I frowned being a changeling was one thing but a Queen.

I asked “Why a Queen?’

Cara replied “Ah hoped for ya to rule beside me, also Ah didn’t want to have any advantage over ya in our relationship. A drone has to obey the Queen, Ah hate it but it’s a part of our biology.”

I felt a voice in my head “(Applejack it’s Cara, this is our hive mind, it allows the hive to communicate across great distances. Ah have much to show ya.)”

I blinked as we arrived at a hole in an empty orchard. I said “This is a lot for me to take in.”

Cara said “(Please try to use the hive mind, it will be important as my Co-Queen).

I focused and started exploring the hive mind. I found Cara’s mind and asked “(Did that work?)”

Cara said “(Yes but it should happen much faster, Ah do it instantaneously. Practise with me as we continue on.)” We arrived in a place in the middle of the hive, it was amazingly well lit.

I asked “(How long have Ah been in that pod?)

Cara replied “(Six months.)

I shouted (Six months, how is that possible?!)”

I then got a huge roar back “(BE QUIET!)”

Cara stared at me before she said “(Ya shouldn’t shout every changeling will hear ya. If ya shouting ya must do it for a good reason, at the same time, EVERYLING, APPLEJACK IS MY CO-QUEEN THEREFORE AH EXPECT YA NOT TO SHOUT AT HER!)” I felt the hive mind go quiet.

We entered what appeared to be a military room. I looked down to see a large changeling training with several drones. I watched as the training stopped. Cara said “This is Prince Iron Compass, he is the general of the hive, in the past six months after his conversion he has become a formidable warrior, he has even taught me swordsmareship.”

Applejack knew this changeling, she stared at his cutie mark. It was a shield shaped compass with a sword instead of a needle. I was about to ask when Applebloom ran up to me, she begged “Ah want to become a changeling like you, can Ah? Can Ah?”

Cara said frowning at Applebloom “Ah’m sorry she has been bugging the hive ever since ya went into ya pod, Ah had make it clear she was not to be converted until Ah got permission from ya.”

I asked “But 6 months in a pod, that is such a long time for a filly, won’t that be bad for her education?”

Cara said “It won’t take that long, even for a Queen a filly will take 3 days to become one, adults have a lot more permanent developments that need to happen in order to be fully developed the most complicated being the egg laying organs.”

I turned to Applebloom and asked “Are you 100% sure you want this, Ah need to know?”

Applebloom responded with a serious look on her face “Ah am, Ah'll be happy to be a changeling, are you worried?”

I sighed “Ah just wanted to make you were 100% sure of your decision and all it will entail, you won’t be a pony anymore. You may be bullied, your friends may turn on you.”

Applebloom didn’t even flinch at my words, she said “If their truly my friends they won’t care what Ah am, they will like me for me.”

I said sadly “Fine Cara, Ah give permission. It’s better than the alternative tried to do it herself.” Cara nodded and set up a pod in front of me. I watched as she put some strange substance around the sides. I asked “What is that substance?”

Cara replied “Royal Jelly, the same stuff Ah used to make ya a Queen and not just some drone.” Applebloom jumped in without the slightest bit of hesitation, I stared at the pod as it closed.

I asked “(What are we doing now?)” She was about to speak when I screamed as I felt a huge burst of pain coming from inside.

I heard a Cara shout across the hive mind “(WE NEED TO GET APPLEJACK TO THE NURSERY, SHE IS LAYING FOR THE FIRST TIME.)” I was lifted up, by the time we were at the Nursery I couldn’t open my eyes.

I was placed down on the ground and was told “(Push hard, this will hurt.)” I pushed and felt my body scream at me as pain tore through my body. I kept pushing even as the pain, grew and grew. I felt several things come out of me. I turned around to see several eggs covered in blood.

I watched as what seemed to be several hundred nurse drones cleaning the eggs. I asked “Is it suppose to hurt that much?”

Cara said “Trust me the first time is always like that, it is the breaking of your fluid membrane from when queens are young lings, it forms on every queen even those who are converted. It is the equivalent of an umbilical cord for ponies, trust meit needs to break.”

I asked “Will it hurt that much next time?”

Cara said “No, It won’t. Ah suggest ya get some rest, ya, me and Prince Iron Compass are going to be attending a meeting with the Princesses in 2 weeks.” I sighed as I went to have a shower, then I jumped into my big bright green bed and fell into a deep sleep, today had been a long day.