The Diplomat

"What are you?!" they both said at the same time.

Chris immediately covered his mouth. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry! I don't mean to sound ru- wait. Did you just talk?"

The strange creature seemed just as surprised as he was. "Why, yes. I did. And it seems you did as well."

Chris couldn't believe his ears. Whatever-whoever-this creature was, it could talk just as well as he could! This was, admittedly, amazing!

"Oh. My. God. This is officially the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me." Chris said, as he stared down at the creature with a nervous smile.

A smile that was likewise, returned. "I suppose I could say the same. I've never seen anything quite like you before."

"The same goes for me. I haven't seen anything like you before, either."

There was a slight, awkward pause before Chris spoke again. "So...start over?"

"That would be for the best, I believe. If you do not mind, I will start us off." The creature, who's voice Chris could only now tell sounded female, even if it did have a bit of an echo to it, held out a hole ridden hoof in what he could only see as a gesture for a handshake. "My name is Chrysalis. Queen of the changelings and ruler of the hive."

He copied her motion, and shook her hoof. 'Changelings huh? Hopefully she's not like the ones from my world... and did she just say queen?'

"Oh!" Chris immediately got down on one knee, bowing before her. "I'm so sorry, your highness! Please forgive my disrespect."

Chris stayed in that position for a while, holding his head down for fear of angering her. But, when nothing happened, he chanced a glance up at her, only to see a look of surprise on her face.

"Um...your highness? What's wrong?" Chris asked, hoping he didn't anger her further.

He watched as she blinked, seemingly breaking out of whatever trance his actions had put her under. "Oh! Oh yes, of course. Forgive me for spacing out. It's just, I've never seen anyling kneel to me like that before. You're quite the gentlestallion, aren't you?"

Chris stood up straight and looked down at the changeling queen. 'Did she just say anyling? As in, any changeling? Is that this dimension's version of anybody? I'll keep that in mind. Also, stallion?'

"Thank you ma'am, but it was nothing at all. Just being polite. I'm Chris, by the way. A human. Not a stallion." Chris told her his name finally.

"I see. Well, Chris the human, there's no need to refer to me in such a way. Only my children may feel the need to call me queen. Oh, how I do wish they would all just call me mother. But I suppose that is the price of being royalty."

Chris simply nodded, as if he understood what she meant. In truth, he didn't. He just felt it would be right to do so at that moment.

"Wait. You have children?" Chris asked, genuinely curious.

"Why, of course I do. You didn't think the queen would be without subjects to rule over did you?" she answered, jokingly.

"Well, yeah, that's true but, for all of them to be your children is a little..." Chris gestured with his hands as he trailed off in his sentence, choosing not to say anything more.

"Shocking? I know. Many outsiders are shocked when I reveal that little detail to them. But yes. My subjects are all my children, and I love them with all my heart." Chrysalis smiled as she thought of all of her wonderful children down in the hive.

"That's great. Absolutely wonderful." Chris himself seemed to have gotten caught up in Chrysalis' words and was himself now in a trance of his own. That is until he remembered one tiny little detail. He was still lost.

"Oh, that's right!" he suddenly yelled out, startling the queen.

"Y-yes? What is it?" She asked, slightly taken aback by his sudden outburst.

Chris quickly apologized. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. it's just that, well...I'm lost, and I need to find my way out of this desert. I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out with that."

Chrysalis seemed to think about this for a moment before saying, "I'd be more than happy to help you get back to civilization, but...where will you go from there? Forgive me for saying so, but, you look like you have nowhere to go."

"No need to apologize ma'am-Sorry, Chrysalis. You'd be right. To be totally honest, I don't know where I am, or how I even got here. One minute i'm home and the next, I'm here, traversing the burning sands of a desert in the middle of nowhere." Chris made an "I don't know" gesture, shrugging his shoulders and throwing his hands up in a carefree manner. He looked down to Chrysalis to see her looking up at him with sad eyes.

"Oh, you poor, poor thing. You're out here all alone, lost with no way to get back home. It must be so terrible for you."

Chris chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. He didn't want her to feel obligated to help him or anything. "Well, It's not so bad. I'm still alive, and it's not like i'm in danger or anything. I just need a little direction is all."

"Nonsense! You must come with me right away. If you really are without a way home, then I will help you get accustomed to life here. In the meantime, I will do everything in my power to help you get home." She didn't let up.

Chris sighed in mild defeat. If she wanted to help him, who was he to stop her? He certainly wasn't gonna turn her down. That would be just mean. Not to mention rude. Plus, there was the possibility that he could get food out of it, and maybe a little something to drink as well. He'd been feeling parched ever since he started walking in this dreary place. Any chance to get out of this sweltering heat was a welcome change in his book.

"Okay. Sure. Let's go!"

"Wonderful! Follow me." She said, walking off in what Chris would soon find out was the direction of her hive.

As they made their way to her home, a previous nagging feeling in the back of Chris' head had returned to torment him once more. He had to ask this question, lest it cause him to lose sleep later in the day.

"Hey, Chrysalis." he called.

"Yes, Chris?" Chrysalis looked in his direction.

"Why are your hooves riddled with holes?" He gave her a quizzical look.

Chrysalis stopped walking for a second, slightly taken aback by what he had just asked, only to burst out laughing a moment later.

"What? What's so funny?" Chris asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, nothing. It's just...that is also a question I get quite often from outsiders. And the truth is, we have no idea where it comes from. Some think it is from our ancestors, who had holes in their legs for some unknown practical reason. And some believe we evolved to look like this. Whatever possible use nature believed we would get out of having holes in our legs is a mystery to me. Perhaps it's just a design flaw.

"Design flaw? You mean like vestigial structures?" Chris asked, smiling.

"I'm sorry? Vestigial what?" Chrysalis asked, giving him a confused look.

"Vestigial structures. Parts of our body that we have but don't necessarily need." Chris explained.

"Ah, I see. So that's what it means. Well, they certainly are more of a nuisance than anything else. Getting sand in these things is one of the worst things that could happen to a changeling."

"Oh, i'm sure it's fine." Chris joked.

"You try taking a shower and getting dirt out of a hole in your leg. Believe me it's harder than you think." Chrysalis joked back.

"I'll take you word on it, then." Chris responded, ending this particular conversation just in time to hear Chrysalis say, "We're here!"

Chris looked up at her words just in time to see the most amazing thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

He looked around at all the Changelings buzzing all about him. Left, right, up down, sideways. So many different changelings were moving to and fro, here and there at such speeds that it was hard for Chris to keep up with where they were all going. But the greatest thing of all? Greater than witnessing the largest number of animals Chris had ever seen since he was five? Was the giant, towering, greenish-black spire in the center of it all. It was the tallest thing he had ever seen. Easily reaching past the empire state building and entering somewhere into biblical territory. Of course, this could all just be his imagination talking. He was witnessing something that only happened on TV after all, Before he could get too confused however, he heard Chrysalis' voice just ahead of him. He looked down just in time to hear her say,

"Welcome, to the Hive!" She made a sweeping gesture with her hoof that sent his attention right back to the great behemoth of a structure in front of him. It filled his vision, causing him to have to blink several times to properly focus again.

He looked around for Chrysalis, only to see her well ahead of where he was standing, just a few feet away from what looked to be the entrance into this grand testament to buildings everywhere. She looked back at him and waved, saying,

"What are you waiting for? Come on over here!"

He wasted no time in following after her, catching up to her in only a few steps and greeting her with a smile.

"You ready?" she asked.

He simply noddded his head in the affirmative. "You know it."

"Well then, let's go." With that, she pushed open the doors to her Hive, and they both walked in, the smiles never leaving their faces.