Rise of the Swarm Lord

As Custos trailed behind Celestia, he noticed how every maid mare, and guard that past them, weren't not only giving him long hard stares....but that the vast majority were female. "Uh.....There any reason why most of the ponies I'm seeing are girls?", he asked, looking up at Celestia as she turned to regard him.

"It's not a simple answer, truth be told. Our male population has never been that high really....truth be told, it's actually quite worriesome", Celestia said, her voice keeping to a hushed tone as they past by more maids, their chatter quickly dying as they all gave Custos a wide-eyed open mouthed stare. "Fewer and fewer stallions are born with every generation. But that is a story for another time", she said, gesturing to a pair of double-wide doors, as she used her magic to open them.

"Gotta get used to that soon", Custos said, seeing the doors glow, then magically open on their own. "Can't believe magics a real thing here.....but then, I honestly am more surprised at myself being able to BE surprised then anything else really....", he thought, his inner mind giving form to thoughts.

"Ah! Princess, so good to see y-y-you have a guest?", the head maid said, her frizzy green mane offset to the side to accent her purple eyes and dark green coat. "I was not aware of any visiting dignitaries on the list", she said, nervously, flipping thru a sheet as she mumbled nervously. "We aren't sure if the meal will be to their liking", she said, a cold sweat forming on the back of her neck.

"Worry not, my dear Forest Glade, our friend here is not a dignitary, he is, for the time being, simply a guest of the castle, and should be treated with kindness and respect", she said, nodding back at Custos to follow her lead.

"Uh....yeah, right!", he said, nodding perhaps a bit too heavily as he smiled lightly, "I'm not a picky eater. eggs, toast, maybe some bacon on the side, that'll be good for me", Custos stated, slow to notice the look of confusion and horror that etched all the ponies around that heard him. "Uh....did I say something weird?", he said, unsure of himself now.

"Um....Oh! Oh I'm so sorry!", Forest Glade stated, "We uh....we don't have bacon....We're herbivores", she said plainly, a look of horror, and mild disgust running across her face as she turned back to the princess. "My apologize your highness, we'll.....we'll work something out for your guest. Please....please excuse us", she said, backing away slightly as several maids and a few guards followed her.

As they left, Custos could just barely make out several snippets of conversation from the group.

"Is he actually a male?"

"Did the Princess take a mate?!"

"He's a carnivore though, what kind of pony eats meat??"

"Is he even a pony?"

Sighing, Custos rubbed the back of his head, "This is going to be a long morning", he grumbled, giving a small smile, as he felt Celestia put an arm on his shoulder, having obviously heard all the commotion as well.

"Do not worry Custos dear.....many ponies will be like that at first. It's not every day that I walk about with a guest before breakfast....much less a male", she said, smiling at him as they finally approached the table.

"Yeah......yeah", Custos said, nodding his head in agreement as he looked down, then back up. Taking a seat at the table, next to Celestia, Custos waiting patiently for the food to be brought. "Well....I mean I guess I can't complain really", he started, Celestia turning to look at him. "In my home....I was average, sure we had different races of people, and all sorts of shades of colors to them....but we weren't obvious like that", he said, gesturing to two maids in the corner, caught staring as they pretended to be dusting.

Stifling a chuckle, Celestia nodded as she spoke, "That may be so....but we've never seen your kind before....not even when I was a filly", she said, making note of the fact that she was millenia old.

"I suppose....well.....at least the foods here", Custos said, noting the platters that several ponies carried, before setting them down. Taking note of the plate set in front of him, Custos grimaced as the top was pulled off, revealing that while he had indeed received eggs....the toast had been covered with hay. "Uh....thanks", he said, gingerly taking a butter knife, and scrapping the hay to the side, as he bit into the toast. "Huh....this is surprisingly fluffy for toast", he thought, munching on it as he enjoyed the slightly sweet taste to it. "Almost like a mixture of toast, and a beignet", he said to himself, finishing it, and the eggs off rather quickly. "Whew....not a big meal, but always good to not eat your fill", he said, looking over at Celestia. "Sooo...uh, aren't you going to eat?", he asked her, looking at her empty place.

"Hmmm? Oh no, I ate earlier with Luna before she headed off to bed", Celestia mentioned, smiling at Custos as she watched him drink some water, before looking at the maids.

"Luna?....Oh, that's your sister right? Nig-the guards told me about her, I hope she's doing well", Custos said, catching himself before he spilled the beans on his small roomate.

"I thank you for your concern, but she is doing fine. Anyways, to business now", Celestia said, her tone taking a more serious note as she regarded Custos sternly now. "I, Princess Celestia, hereby grant the human Custos, the freedom of movement, so that he may best assist us in the path to unlocking the return for the Lord of Harmony.", Celestia said, her voice quite loud.

"Wow....you have a mute volume for that bass?", Custos said, after she was done, rubbing a pinky finger in his ear as he winched at the ringing. "I mean seriously, tone it down some, who are you trying to impress?"

Blushing a bit as the silliness of it all, Celestia nodded, her voice lowering until it reached her normal volume again. "As the first order of business......I recommend you spending time with the newly discovered Elements of Harmony. My dear student Twilight and her friends in Ponyville have been badgering me nonstop about the pony that they rescued from Nightmare Moons monster", she said, regarding the previous night.

"Nightmare Moons monster?....Oh, you mean that giant wood woof. What did you say it was again? A TImberland Wolf?", he said, seeing Celestia nod.

"Correct, it should be an enlightening experience for both parties. Twilight is in need of making more friends, and you, my dear Custos, are an alien to our world. What better way to acclimate and unlock these powers, then to co-exist with the very elements that our former lord made available to us.

Chewing thought on the last few crumbs from his meal, Custos mulled over what Celestia was telling him. "Soo....you're basically kicking me out then?", he said, looking up at her as a hurt and panicked expression overtook her face.

"What?! N-No! I would never, I....I'm just trying. I'm sorry, I-", Celestia said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as Custos shielded his hands up in surrender.

"Whoa, whoa, cool your jets there", he said, patting her lightly on the shoulder, "I was only joking, it was a joke. I didn't mean anything by it", he said, seeing her eyes sharpen in irritation.

"It is not wise to anger a princess my dear", she said, her wings flapping outwards, before reeling back in, hugging Custos lightly. "But I'll excuse it this time....on account of the circumstances", she finished, giving him a maternal-like smile.

Getting up slowly, Celestia stretched her arms, "That being said....I must get to work now", she said, graciously dipping her head in his direction. "A kingdom simply doesn't run itself", she mentioned, before lipping off.

Custos, sighing as he allowed a smile to grace his lips. "Huh.....I wonder what this Ponyville place is like?....Hopefully that awful pun of a name doesn't mean much", he said as he got up, handing his plate to a passing maid.

Walking back to the hallway, Custos looked around, unsure which direction was the one he was to follow to get to his room. "I feel like I need to pack....but I don't have much on me at the moment", he said, looking down at the robe he had borrowed from the bedroom. "Maybe Celestia can have some clothes made for me or something", he said as he saw a guard, "Ah! Excuse me, can you tell me which way it is back to the guest quarters?", he said, the grey mare giving him a knowing smile as she simply pointed down the left hallway. "Thank you very much!", he said, walking onwards.

Unfortunately, Custos had not gotten more then a few steps, before feeling a blunt force on the back of his head.
Falling forward, Custos conciousness fading, his last thoughts to himself were, "Hello darkness, my old friend...", before he collapsed in the seemingly abandoned hallway, the grey guard chuckling evilly as she caught him, disappearing in a bwoop of white magic.

*Hidden Base, somewhere in Equestria*

Eclipsa, pacing back and forth, waved her arms wildly as she exclaimed. "THAT IS ABSURD! The Council will NEVER approve of such a blatant display of aggression, Chrysalis! Invading the capital?! Count me out!", she said, crossing her arms in front of her in an X.

"Pft! Fine then Eclipsa, be that way. You may be the leader of the Moon Hive, but your powers been waning these last centuries, you don't hold the power you think you still do", she said with a smirk.

"WHY YOU LITTL-!", Eclipsa said, her face barring with rage, before she turned, seeing the door open. "WHAT?! WHO DARES!", she said, seeing the guard standing there, shaking in her gauntlets and boots.

"M-M-My Queens!", the guard said, stammering as she saluted, "We....we have completed the task you set forth earlier, Queen Eclipsa, the package is on its' way to the processing chamber.

Pausing, her face in a visage of anger, quickly composed herself, coughing slightly. "V-very well.....thank you Hidden Heart.....prepare the package for me, I will be arriving shortly."

"A package eh?......Care to let us in on the secret?", Chrysalis said, sidling up to Eclipsa with a smile.

"No, I-....Actually yes.", Eclipsa said, turning to regard Chrysalis, her height providing her a few extra inches of height over Chrysalis. "It will be able to provide the restoration of our hive....", she said, "I'll leave it at that however", she said, leaving the chamber, Chrysalis alone.

"Restoration of her hive?.....Wait! DID SHE FIND A MATE?!", Chrysalis thought, her irritation rising, "HOW DARE SHE! She KNOWS the problems we Planetside Changelings are having with our breeding problems....That little whelp", she growled, "Well.....As a PROPER Changeling....I should report this to mother and the high council...Or, I could find this package....and take it for myself. It must be a true stallion, to impress the ever difficult Eclipsa.", Chrysalis, taking a moment more to compose herself, levitated herself with her wings, leaving thru an opening in the far corner of the room, zipping off with a buzzing sound.

*Bedroom, area unknown*

"Ugh.....well....at least I don't have a hangover", Custos said, his eyes gingerly opening as he saw the bed he was sleeping on. "Now....WHERE THE HELL AM I?!", he said, his voice echoing slightly.

"Well.....we truly must stop meeting like this my dear", said a familiar voice, as a black colored hand stroked his hair from behind. "I hope you missed us."

Looking back, his head tilting upwards, Custos saw the maternally smiling face of Crescent as she looked down at him.

"Oh great.....the bitches mother", he said, grumbling as he feebly attempted to swipe her hand away.

"Oh dear, please......an expecting mother shouldn't be exposed to that sort of language", she said, pinching his cheek as she continuing to stroke his hair with her other hand.

"Expecting mother......wait....wait no, you don't mean....NO FUCKING WAY!", he said, turning, expecting to see a fat stomach. "Wait....you're lying, you're as skinny as when I first saw you!", he said, spattering around on the bed

"Oh my dear Custos....we're Changelings dear, we don't give live birth. We lay eggs~", she said, smiling as she pinched his cheek.

"Wait....no, oh god no, don't you tell me....", he said, his forehead sheening with sweat, "Am I.....am I....."

"Congrats my dear....you're a papa!", Crescent said, smiling at him.

"FFFFUUUCCCKKK THAT! I'M NOT READY FOR FATHERHOOD!", he said, turning to jump off the bed, towards the door, only to faceplant into Eclipsa.

"AHH! YOU FILTHY MONGREL! FIRST YOU IMPREGNATE MY MOTHER, THEN ASSAULT ME?!", she shouted, back-handing him onto the floor.

Custos going quiet, merely looked up at her, a incredulous look on his face as he suddenly snapped back, "WELL IT'S NOT LIKE I HAD MUCH OF A CHOICE YER MAJESTY!", he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"ENOUGH!....Since you deemed yourself fit to give my mother children, then as Queen.....I demand the same sort of servitude", she said, her expression not matching her tone of voice whatsoever.

".....Oh no, no no no, I'm not going to fuck another one of you....", he said, looking back at Crescent, as she just smiled and waved.

"No excuses will be given. I AM Queen, and I get what I want!", she snapped again, stamping her foot.

"You'll have to forgive my dearest daughter, Custos love.....she may be a queen, but she's only nigh of her 900th birthday, barely out of adolescence by most creatures age.

"Nine.....nine......NINE HUNDRED?! What the hell are you all?!....", Custos said, seeing Eclipsa blush at her age being blurted out like that.

"M-MOTHER! PLEASE! I captured this creature for his magical power....the fact that....we'll be.....doing that....That's the duty a Queen must endure!", she said, nervously sweating now as a blush began creeping across her face, barely being hidden by her hands as she attempted not to look at Custos.

"The fact that we won't be doing jack SHIT, your HIGHNESS!", Custos said, as he tried to sidestep away.

"Oh no, not again....you won't escape me this time. You defied my wants, impregnated my mother, and escaped me from before....you won't be doing that again, I can assure you", Eclipsa stated, grabbing Custos by the neck and hefting him over her shoulder.

"Now, we are going to my chambers, I am going to seduce you....AND YOU ARE GOING TO PLEASE ME BETTER THEN
MY SLUT OF A MOTHER!", Eclipsa shouted, the guards wincing as the door slammed shut, causing cracks to appear in the plaster surrounding the frame.

"....I....don't suppose I can say I have a headache and just wanna cuddle....can I?", Custos asked, Eclipsa holding onto him with a vice-like grip on his booty as he rode, slung over her shoulder like a sack of rice.

"You could yes..............", she said, her answer honestly surprising him.

"I.....really?", he said, lifting himself to look back at her.

"Of course....I don't need you alive, I can just give you the eternal sleep and collect what I need for my brood from your corpse afterall", she said, matter of factly, her heeled feet click-clacking on the marble flooring as they reached the end of the hallway.

"On second thought.........my head feels fine", Custos said, gulping loudly as he got the gist of what she was meaning.

"I thought you would", Eclipsa said, a smug smile forming on her face. "Now then....I am going to have my servants attend to me....when I return, I expect you to be presented and ready to please me however I see fit!", she said, tossing him onto the bed as she strode to a far door, the image of what seemed like a grand bathroom, as large as the bedroom itself, beyond, as steam and heat wafted slowly into the room.

"You may do whatever it is you males do to get yourselves ready.....I do not want to know", she said as she disappeared thru the door, closing it behind her.

"Well.....shit", Custos said, sitting up on the bed as he looked around him, then walking to a window, staring out at the barren landscape beyond the windows front. "I'm in a right pile of manure right now, that I am....."

"Oh boy, you have NOOOO idea how under-rated that comment is lover boy~", said a voice behind him.

Whirling around, Custos glared down at the somewhat taller, but still really short form of Nightmare Moon, her head barely reaching above his belly button as he gasped in shock. "How the hell did you get her-.....Actually, why am I still surprised at this shit? You probably used some weird Pegacorn magic didn't you?"

"The CORRECT term is Alicorn....you uncultured swine. As for your question, not exactly, it seems, for whatever reason, I can travel with you by inhabiting that necklace of yours", she said, gesturing to the gem around his neck.

"My necklace?.....You better not have done anything to it!", he said, clenching his fists as he pulled at it to get a better look.

"Oh please....like I even would want to. I HEARD everything Celestia said you know, I know what that rock is supposed to represent.....but let's just say I'm not fully onboard as to the reasoning for WHY Celestia wants it, I mean....did she actually give any legitimate reason to it?"

Opening his mouth to answer, Custos closed it slowly after a while, realizing that while he might not enjoy the company of his companion....she DID have a valid point, Celestia never TRULY gave an actual reason....just why it would be beneficial.

"Ok.....so where do we go from here then?", he asked, staring down at Nightmare Moon, trying to maintain eye contact, as her outfit did not leave anything to the imagination.

"Heh...keep staring lover boy.....I might just let ya enjoy it after a while", she said as she grabbed his hand. "Stay with me now.....I'll see if my magics recovered enough to at least teleport us away from this hive castle", she said as they both began to glow.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?", Custos said, before suddenly popping out of existence, with Nightmare Moon, the only reminder of their forms being a whisp of smoke as they disappeared to whereever they were being teleported to, right as Eclipsa entered the room.

Having had her maids and servants glam her up, her beautifully make-upped face contorted with rage as she formed a mad grip on the fruits she carried with her, smashing them on the floor as her fist punched the wall, leaving a small crater from the impact. "NOT AGAIN!", she screamed, partially out of frustration, and partially out of anger. "I do not know where or how you escaped this time Custos......but I'll find you and drag you back as many times as it takes.....You've toyed with a mares heart one time too many already."