Lives of the Changeling Queens

Chapters

Pride of the Navy
A Loyal Subject
The Art of Science

Pride of the Navy

Ditrysium

March 11, 1007

It was another cold and windy day in the port of the Changeling Queendom. Across the sprawling city, changelings trotted and flew about as they went about their daily lives, chatting with coworkers as they made their way through the towering buildings. The massive dockyards, recently cleared of melting ice were abuzz with activity, as the battleships and cruisers docked there were under maintenance.

Far from the bustling noise, on the highest floor of the hive tower, Queen Helvia looked out across the water through the window. Every morning, before starting her day, she would stand here and simply watch her subjects as they all scurried about. She did it to remind herself of her obligation to her changelings, that as Queen of the hive, it was her sole responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of all living there. It was a heavy responsibility, though one she had been trained to take on since her birth.

The door opened behind her. "Helvia," a familiar voice said behind her, "we have to go. If we don't leave now we'll be late for the naval meeting, and you know how Admiral Lysander gets when we're not on time."

Turning, the Queen of Ditrysium saw her sister, Princess Silva waiting impatiently at the door. "Ah, apologies," she answered back. "It appears that I lost track of time."

Silva waved a hoof dismissively as Helvia made her way towards her. "And stop being so formal! Noling's around."

Helvia shook her head. "It is the duty of the Queen to always act regal, composed and dignified. Always act-"

"Like everyling is watching, I know. You've told me this many times, Helvia." The two royals started their way down the stairs, the ceremonial guards present paying no attention to their conversation. "But come on, sister! You don't have to be so distant all the time! It's okay to lighten up a bit once in a while and enjoy life, like the drones do."

"No, Silva. I can not afford to slip up with so much responsibility. It is a sacrifice that I am willing, prepared and have been taking since I became Queen, for my subjects." Helvia's tone become more authoritative, making clear that there was no room for debate here. Silva's face fell, and she remained quiet as they lifted off and flew down the hive tower, landing on the ground floor.

Her face softening, the Queen paused before opening the door outside. "Though I will take your advice into consideration, sister."

The chilly wind blasted into Helvia's face as the pair of changelings stepped outside. Even with her royal heavy coat, the cold was still enough to almost make her shiver. Silva, less accustomed to this weather didn't have the fortitude to resist, her entire body visibly shaking. Opening the car door in front of her, Helvia got in first before waiting for her sister to enter and sit beside her and closing it with her magic. Starting the car, the driver slowly drove forward as they made their way on the city streets towards the docks.

As the two passed by countless drones walking or flying by on the sidewalks, only a few actually stopped to kneel before her. Most simply paid her no heed, or gave a respectful nod towards her. Helvia appreciated this; it would become quite tiring to have everyling stop whatever they're doing just to bow whenever she entered a room or walked past.

The low hum of the motor was the only sound for a long time, before the car finally stopped near the Ditrysium dry-docks. A group of drones were already waiting for them as they got out, a few of them wearing the signature black of Queen Chrysalis' Queen's Guard. Helvia sighed internally. These changelings were always a nuisance to deal with, almost as much as Chrysalis herself. Her one saving grace was that they were usually few and far between in her hive, congregating mostly at the U-boat bunkers where state secrecy was absolutely necessary.

"Queen Helvia. You are exactly two minutes late." Lysander's voice had an annoyed tone, as if he had been already been waiting there for several hours. Admiral Mimic, standing a few feet behind him rolled her eyes.

"My deepest apologies," Helvia responded. "I was preoccupied with other issues. So what is the reason for today's meeting?"

Lysander opened his mouth to speak but was quickly cut off by Mimic. "We were going to discuss a possible shifting of the Kriegsmarine's priorities, funding allocation and naval doctrine." This earned a glare from her counterpart but no objection.

Nodding, Helvia turned to being walking along the docks. "Let us depart for the bunkers, then." Taking the lead, she was flanked by both her sister and her ceremonial guards, with the various naval officers and Queen's Guard close behind.

Once she was sure they were out of earshot from the drones, Silva quietly spoke again to Helvia. "So, how long do you think it'll take for Lysander and Mimic to get into another argument?"

"Hopefully at least ten minutes."

Silva laughed. "That's what you say every meeting, and yet you continue to be disappointed."

"Well, perhaps this time they will be feeling more agreeable towards each other."

"I've heard you say that before too."

Helvia sighed before continuing to walk in silence. Soon, the massive metal ships in the dry-docks gave way to empty ocean, and the number of Queen's Guard around steadily increased until they stopped at a large concrete bunker. The metal door had the words "ZUGANG VERBOTEN" emblazoned in bold on the front, in Herzlandish. It was a language that most drones would be hard-pressed to translate, as only the military and royalty were taught to read and speak the language of the griffons.

As the various drones made their way inside, Helvia's sister turned to her. "Well, this is where I leave you to your oh-so exhilarating naval talks. I will maintain business until you get back, as usual."

Helvia nodded back curtly. She trusted Silva to maintain order and deal with any issues until she returned. For all her lightheartedness and generally bright attitude, she also knew how to solve any problem that the hive or drones may encounter, as well as at least delay any important visitors until the true Queen returned. They may be very different changelings and argue from time to time, but they were still sisters, and Helvia trusted Silva with her life.

And with how hive politics ran, she could very well be doing so right now.

After one last bow, Silva turned away to head back for the dry-docks, as the Queen made her way into the bunker.

The naval command room had been one of the most expensive places to furnish and equip, perhaps even more than Helvia's throne room. At the center of it was a large round table, complete with a map of all of Equus on top. Ten chairs ringed around it, with two special ones reserved for Queen Helvia and the One Queen Chrysalis, whenever she came to personally oversee the matters of the Kriegsmarine. Other things inside included blueprints of conceptualized and current ship models, reports from the various lower admirals, and a massive magically reinforced glass window where one could look out over all the U-boat pens.

Today's meeting was a little more crowded as usual, consisting of Helvia herself, Admirals Lysander and Mimic, and four other naval officers which the Queen presumed were their subordinates. Each group took a seat at the table, the two opposing drones sitting on opposite sides already making their rivalry clear.

Helvia sighed internally; this meeting was already off to a great start. "Generaladmiral Lysander. Your proposal is to divert funding from the current submarine production to focus more on cruisers and battleships. Your reasoning?"

The purple drone coughed, adjusting his uniform before answering. "Queen Helvia, too much focus has already been given into the U-boats. While they admittedly play a role in the larger Kriegsmarine operations, such hit-and-run tactics that they are commonly used for are not what win wars on the high seas. No, only great battles fought by entire navies are, and that is what battleships and their escorts excel at."

"On the contrary," Mimic interrupted, glaring at her counterpart, "it is exactly those tactics that will give us victory. By slowly whittling down the enemy forces and striking where they are weakest, we can wear them down until they can be destroyed. It is the true changeling way to use subterfuge and deception, just as the failure of the brute force attack on Canterlot showed."

"An attack that was only necessary because that very subterfuge failed! Overwhelming force will never fail, it never has, and it never will! Your submarines will do nothing of value and waste our surface fleet waiting in the dry-docks!"

Helvia slammed a hoof onto the table. "Enough!" The sheer authority in her voice was enough to give both sides pause. "I will not have you two bickering like children! Either you two will work out your differences and make an agreement or the navy will go nowhere!"

The two drones gave each other dirty looks before Mimic turned smugly to the Queen. "Or, you could just promote me to Hivesadmiral to end these little debates..."

She gave a level look back. "Admiral," she warned sternly.

"Of course I'm sure Lysander would be a bit upset," they continued unimpeded, "but with my new position I could easily find replacements for him. Take these two talented leaders, for example." Mimic gestured at the officers flanking her. "Admirals Clypeus and Labrum, experts at destroyer and carrier tactics respectively. I'm sure they could fill in where Lysander would refuse to work."

Slamming both hooves, Lysander got up out of his chair, hissing. "On the contrary, my appointment to Hivesadmiral would allow me to promote talented changelings, such as Palpus and Maxilla here. Not only are they masters at commanding battleships and cruisers, they also work very well together. Something that myself and Mimic," he paused to give another glare across the room, "can not seem to do."

Helvia took a deep breath. "That position," she began calmly, "is not my position to give, Only Queen Chrysalis has that authority, and I will not take sides in this argument between my two most talented admirals. All of you are dismissed for the day." Her look almost challenged the drones in the room to question her, and all of them backed off. Though there was a fair bit of grumbling, soon all the staff members had left the room, leaving the Queen alone.

Once the door had shut with a resounding clang, Helvia let out a sigh she didn't even know she was holding. It was getting worse and worse every week, their debates and fights. It was getting harder and harder to get the two to compromise or even agree on anything. And it was all part of the larger issue, one of the many problems spouting up as the hives got ready for war. Some may have denied it, but Helvia already knew that the fight with Equestria was inevitable by now. Chrysalis had banked everything on it, with all her propaganda carefully cultivating a hatred towards the equines. To go back now would be to commit political suicide.

But understanding that it was necessary and wanting it were two very different things. The rewards for defeating the current hegemon of Equus was great, yes, but the risk was even more so. For how could one feel knowing they ordered their loyal subjects to fight and die, when it was all futile in the end? Perhaps her fellow royals in Vraks or Vesalipolis itself did not care, but Helvia did.

But in the end there was nothing she could do. Nothing but stay loyal and continue leading her hive, as not doing so would only increase the chances of all changelings falling. Perhaps one day she would be able to relax, enjoy the fruits of her labor and simply be family with her sister instead of a ruler.

But that day had not yet come. And as she looked out the window at all the sailors flying about, Queen Helvia of Ditrysium only knew one thing: she would fulfill her duty, no matter the cost.

Author's Note

Ditrysium prides itself on its great naval traditions. It would be such a shame if an upcoming war were to sink their great fleet, wouldn't it?

For the few well-verse in the EaW lore, yes, Helvia does have a sister that is decidedly not named Silva or is anything like her personality here. However, I choose to replace her due to not fitting well in what I have planned for the Queen, and it would have been more trouble than it was worth to collaborate constantly on what she would do. Silva will (hopefully) get a larger role in future chapters, and perhaps even finally step out of her sister's shadow...

A Loyal Subject

Lyctida

May 13, 1007

Loyalty.

The first thing many thought of when the term loyalty arose was of the Element of Harmony, and by extension its bearer. A blue rainbow-maned mare from Equestria, one who was said to never let her friends down, or abandon them in their time of need. A pony who was held up as the paragon of loyalty.

All who thought that were fools, and nothing more.

Queen Aurantia of Lyctida knew what true loyalty was. It was a complete and utter willingness to do whatever your queen asked you to do. To never question, to never disobey, to never do anything but exactly what they say. They have the generosity to allow you to do their bidding, and the trust that you will do it adequately. And betraying that trust is nothing short of treason.

Some called that kind of devotion blind. Aurantia thought of it as an apt term. Every subject is blind to the true thoughts and plans of their master, and questioning that for any reason only leads to problems, issues, unnecessary disagreements. For success, there had to be unity; for unity, there had to be loyalty. It was as simple as that.

It was also the reason why her fellow Queens, barring the One Queen of course were so infuriating to be around.

Aurantia was tempted to slam her hoof on the polished floor out of annoyance, but decided against it. All it would cause would be her royal guard rushing in to ask her of any possible problems. But still, just thinking of them made her blood boil. Every time they would meet, it was always the exact same thing. Helvia with her aloof pragmatism, Argynnis with her outrageously disrespectful sarcasm, and Yaria... well, her heart and beliefs were in the right place, but she always cared about her research more than her devotion. Tolerating those ingrates was quite possibly the hardest thing that Aurantia had to do each year. They were all lucky that Queen Chrysalis had the patience of a true royal.

In fact, the only queen better than herself at, well, everything was Chrysalis. She had brought them all together, blessed them with her endless leadership and boundless charisma, ruled and led her armies with the skill of the greatest generals. There was no doubt that she would accomplish any goal she set out to do, and that included the fall of Equestria itself now. If destroying the pony nation and any other on Equus was the only way to ensure the safety of the hives, then so be it. All would fall under the might of the swarm.

And speaking of the safety of the hives... Aurantia got off her throne and made her way to one of the windows overlooking the hive. Even under the light of the accursed Celestia's sun, the smoke from the vast lumber mills and factories, many of which were built towards aiding Chrysalis in her goals, meant that the entire hive sat under a shadow of darkness. The scenery was drab, the streets silent, and the hive somber.

Just how Aurantia remembered and liked it.

Visitors, on the other hoof, tended to hold a different opinion. Very few foreigners ever visited the hive, unlike Ditrysium to the north which was practically teeming with them. Lyctidans spoke with few words, preferring solitude, so noling ever brought it up. And they shouldn't, with the memory of the last group of non-changelings who had come still burning bright.

It was not a pleasant memory, yet Aurantia drudged it up anyway. Whenever her loyalty started to crack or her hatred simmer, recalling it always added gasoline to the flames.

She could not forget the traumatic experience even if she wanted to, anyway...

February 4, 962

"My Queen, the deer have breached the central spire!" The drone, a royal guard clutching a spear tightly looked at Aurantia with fear in their eyes. "What do we do?"

The Queen of Lyctida had no response. How could she? The hive had repelled isolated incursions from Olenia before, but this attack was something never seen before! These... zealots, they slaughtered everything in their path! The trail of destruction left behind was obvious, the great forests that surrounded the city burning in a fiery blaze.

And the bodies, dear Hatcher the bodies. The deer were merciless, leaving no survivors. The streets were running green with blood, as their bodies lay for all to see. Perhaps that was the intention, to leave behind as much an impression as possible.

If so, it was working.

Truth be told, Aurantia was terrified. Lyctida had mostly remained isolated from the other hives despite its prosperous state, and as such had no connections or alliances like the others. They were alone, no friends to call upon. And the armed forces of the hive had shattered long ago under such a large assault... was this the end of her hive? Could she really fall so easily?

The doors slammed open, and the object of her nightmares walked in. A group of ten, maybe twelve Olenians, all wearing their religious symbols and clutching their war axes still dripping green blood onto the floor. The head of the group, a fanatical priest by the look of it saw the Queen and gave a truly evil grin. He did not say a single word, only pointed his weapon straight at her.

"Protect the Queen!" The royal guard immediately leapt into action, as they had trained for all their lives. Armed with sword or spear, they fought ferociously with the invaders, forcing the deer onto the defensive. The captain of her guard, duel-wielding swords engaged with the priest himself, the two playing a deadly game of strike and parry. The changeling had two weapons to block with, but the Olenian seemed to be blessed with unnatural speed and strength, pushing away every single attempt to gain an advantage. Eventually Aurantia saw a smirk form on his muzzle as he forced the captain to stumble.

"Look out!" she tried to warn, but it was too late. The deer twirled, swinging his axe around, and the drone was decapitated on the spot. The body fell like a rag doll, swords clattering on the ground. Aurantia knew she needed to do something, to blast him with magic or teleport away, but she couldn't. Petrified, all her body did was stumble backwards, stumbling as she fell on the stairs leading to her throne.

Slowly approaching, the priest laughed as the axe was raised skyward, ready to swing down towards her head. And in his eyes, Aurantia could see her own expression reflected, one of pure terror. The weapon began its downward decent, ready to execute the fearful Queen of Lyctida...

...

...And in a flash of green, the Olenian fell to the ground, dead. In his place walked forth a new stranger, another Queen. Her mane long and bluish-green, the crown of Vesalipolis elegantly on her head. She looked down at Aurantia with a mix of pride, disgust, and perhaps a hint of excitement.

Queen Chrysalis had arrived.

"Get up."

Aurantia stumbled onto her four hooves, looking around her throne room once more. The foreign invaders were gone, their bodies piled on the floor close to the changelings who had given their lives fighting them off. All around them, the royal guards of both Vesalipolis and Ditrysium were rushing in and out of the doors, weapons drawn and at the ready.

"Subjects, this hive is under threat from the deer who seek to take our rightful land! Today, we fight not as hives, but as one race against a common threat! Drive them off our soil, feed on them all, show them the might of the changelings!"

Her voice was authoritative, the very essence of leadership. Her words were inspiring, causing whatever remained of the Lyctidan warriors to follow their new allies back into the fray. Her very form was regal, displaying an overwhelming aura of confidence.

Chrysalis was no Queen, she was the Queen.

She observed the guards filing out of the throne room before making her way to the window that overlooked the hive. Aurantia timidly walked forward, taking a place at her side. The corpses of drones still littered the streets, but so did that of the deer now. The forest fires were beginning to die down as the normal cold of the north set in once more. It had been mere seconds, perhaps a minute at most since their arrival, and already the conflict was drawing to a close.

"Queen Aurantia." She snapped her head to the side, listening to her new savior. "Had I arrived a moment later, you would be dead. Lyctida has already proven unable to defend itself. By the laws of the hives, you should be cast out as a failure."

Aurantia dipped her head in shame, but Chrysalis was not finished yet. "That does not matter now. The disunity that has plagued our race must come to an end. The hives must work towards a common goal if we are to survive." The Queen of Vesalipolis tilted her head ever so slightly towards Aurantia. "Will you join me?"

It was a loaded question, there was no doubt in that. Saying "no" was not an option, not one without dire consequences now. Lyctida was still in no position to fight back against anything. But as Aurantia knelt before Chrysalis, the words she spoke carried no regret or anger, just complete honesty and respect.

"Of course, Queen Chrysalis. You have the loyal of me, and the Hive of Lyctida, from now until eternity."

A nod was all she got in return. "Good. Follow, we have important matters to discuss then." Aurantia's new master turned away and began towards the door, not even bothering to look behind. She hurried to keep up, much like a pet to its owner, as the royal doors barely hanging on their hinges slowly moved from the pull of magic.

The sound of them closing was the last thing Aurantia remembered.

"...My Queen? Are you listening?"

The changeling blinked, her mind being pulled away from the memory. An armored drone, the current Captain of the Royal Guard for the hive who she couldn't bother to learn the name of was looking up at her, concerned. "I am fine,", she spat out, annoyed at the interruption. "What is it?"

Keeping a straight and neutral face at her Queen's anger, the guard spoke calmly as if this had happened a thousand times before... which it might have. "The half-year report has almost been compiled."

"And?"

"The quotas that Queen Chrysalis set have been exceeded by more than two-hundred percent, as you wanted."

Aurantia gave a curt nod, before her expression morphed into a scowl. "One Queen Chrysalis, drone," she reprimanded.

"My apologies."

She scoffed before turning away to hide her grudging satisfaction. Vastly exceeding the wishes of the One Queen were a common occurrence these days, per the wishes of Aurantia. It was her way of eternally showing her gratitude for that day. The debt she was in would never be repaid, but it didn't mean that she couldn't do these little things to curry her favor in memory of it. She was approaching the end of even a Queen's lifespan, so these last actions before she moved to the next world would be the most important.

"Is that all?" she asked her captain, still standing at attention close by. The drone nodded. "Then leave me. I tire of your presence already."

A short bow, and he was gone. Good. Aurantia did not care for the personal lives or issues of her subjects, only the fact that they meet her demands. She was a Queen, she had responsibilities, she was above the common folk. They served her, not the other way around. It was one of the many lessons Queen Chrysalis had taught her, just a fragment of the wisdom bestowed.

Walking back to the throne, she settled herself back into the ancient seat of power. It was one of the few things she still found some sort of comfort in, the familiar cold of the stone that generations of her linage had sat in centuries past. Legacy, that was what she carried, and it was something that all had. Her ancestors had legacies of proud independence, of fierce warriors, of cunning diplomats. Tales that drones would tell to inspire their children to do great things.

Aurantia did not care for those things. There was only one word that she wanted to be remembered by, one trait that would go down as the defining moment of her rule.

Loyalty.

Author's Note

We all have our heroes, even if those heroes are villains to others.

Aurantia is probably the Queen I'm the weakest in, mostly because there isn't as much story to be told with a changeling who's entire point is following orders and being completely loyal. Doesn't mean she won't have a part to play in the future, however. Just don't expect many stand-alone chapters with her.

The Art of Science

Soryth

September 17, 1007

"Now, the exact science of magic itself is still a point of contention among many scholars in the world. Many believe that it is drawn latently from the world around us, but some say that we have magic reserves within us that we draw from. While the former is widely accepted, the latter is lent credence from the fact that overexerting on magic spells tires the user..."

The changeling professor continued to drone on while the students, numbering over a hundred all waited anxiously in their seats within the lecture hall. It wasn't because they were bored of his lecture, quite the opposite. In fact, many were paying careful attention and even taking extensive notes. No, the real reason was that the royal of the hive herself, Queen Yaria was coming to give a demonstration on magic.

Some only wished to meet their queen in person for the first time. Others wanted to learn and hear what she had to say. The vast majority, however, were scouting their ideal future career, that being working in the official technological research department in the hive. Only the best and brightest were even considered by the staff, for those chosen had unrestricted access to Soryth's vast Love reserves in an effort to uncover the secrets of Key Lake, the magical body of water next to which the hive was settled on, as well as the use of magic itself.

The high number of intelligentsia was one of the many things Soryth prided itself on, and perhaps one of the few that no other hive could rival them in. Their University of Magic was second to none in the Changeling Queendom, rivaled only perhaps by Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot. It was why changelings from all across the hives traveled this far up north just to study and get a degree at the prestigious institution, which even with its sprawling complex still had to reject hundreds of applicants each year.

An alarm on the professor's desk went off, startling half the class with a few dropping their notebooks or pens onto the floor. Simultaneously, a side door opened and four royal guards entered, taking up positions around the lecture hall. "All rise for the Ruler of Soryth, Queen Yaria," the professor said to his class, closing his own notebook and taking a position to the side of the stage.

A single changeling strode into the hall, wearing a signature white hat and billowing coat. Looking out over the crowd, Queen Yaria did a quick scan before speaking. "You may be seated." All at once the drones who had risen sat back down, opening their notebooks to a new entry. "Today's lesson will be about Love, magic, and how the two are interconnected."

Moving to the chalkboard, Yaria's horn glowed faintly as a single piece of chalk levitated upwards and began drawing out images as she addressed the drones before her. "Magic is one of the constants of this world, a phenomenon that despite existing since the dawn of time, is poorly understood even to this day. For many years, it was only unicorns that were considered to have control over magic, using their horns as conduits. It is a stigma that has lasted for millennia; ask many beyond the hives what races can use magic, and the first response is usually unicorns."

The Queen moved out of the way to show the class what had been drawn, an image of a pony from each tribe arranged in a circle. "This assumption has been disproved following study, however. Pegasi use magic to fly and move clouds, and earth ponies use magic to grow crops. There are also griffon enchantments, zebra alchemy and such, but for today we will be focusing on the typical focus of magic; the kind used by ourselves and unicorns." The eraser flew up to remove the drawings of the pegasi and earth pony. "So, who can tell me a few spells that we can use?"

Almost every drone in the room raised a hoof skyward. Yaria pointed at one in the front row, who responded immediately. "Telekinesis."

She nodded, taking hold of two more pieces of chalk in her magic and twirling them around her before pointing at another student. "Concussive blasts."

"Very good, but I will not be demonstrating that here today for fairly obvious reasons." This got a few muted chuckles from the drones. "Anything else?"

"Teleportation."

In a flash of magic, Yaria appeared at the opposite end of the stage from where she was originally standing. "A spell better suited for advanced unicorns, but yes. I doubt that any drone present here has successfully cast a self-teleportation spell, but simple combat and utility spells like the ones mentioned earlier should all be ones you have mastered at this age." The chalk that was still floating settled back into their places near the chalkboard, the glow on Yaria's horn fading away. "For my next demonstration, I will need a drone skilled in magic. Any volunteers?"

Hooves were raised once more, though noticeably less than the first time. The Queen took more time picking out who to call on this time, eventually settling on a drone sitting right in the center of the crowd. "You. Come down onto the stage, please."

After a moment of shock, the drone quickly flew down from her seat, taking a place next to Yaria and waiting respectfully. "Now, I would like you to perform your best shield spell. Hold it high above your head." Nodding, they concentrated before a light green barrier appeared between the two. Looking satisfied, Yaria summoned a spear to her side before motioning to the royal guard closest to her.

The armored changeling grabbed the weapon and raised it high towards the ceiling. The student's eyes widened, and they braced themselves just a second before the spear came crashing down upon the barrier. A web of cracks spread from the point of impact, and the drone winced, her legs threaten to buckle beneath her.

"As you can see, a drone's magic is nowhere near the level of a unicorn's. While their spells can hold back even a swarm of changelings, such as the Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard Shining Armor did during the Siege of Canterlot, yours can at best take two or three hits from a blunt object before failing. However..." A single vial appeared from deep within Yaria's fur coat, the substance within colored bright pink. "...There are ways to strengthen a changeling's inherent magic that I am sure you are all aware of."

"Now this is a vial of Love, triple-refined." The last two words snapped the few students drifting off back into reality, with one of them even falling out of their chair. Quite a few were staring at the substance hungrily, as if they were going to grab it at any second. Yaria took note of those that did so; scientists who consumed their own resources were usually not good ones. "It is common knowledge that Love enhances the abilities of both drones and royals past their normal limit for a time. The purer and more refined it is, the stronger the effect. The prolonged lack of it in a changeling also has some rather negative effects, hence our endless studies to improve both the extraction and refining process."

The vial uncorked itself, tilting towards the drone who was still recovering from the blow of the guard. She looked up, first at the offered Love and then at the Queen who simply nodded, before chugging the magical liquid down. The effect was almost immediate, with the student standing up straight and even looking stronger than before she had first come onto the stage.

"The shield again, please." This time the color of the green was much stronger, less clear than before. The guard slammed the spear once more upon it, causing the student to flinch. The barrier remained steadfast, not a single crack appearing, and in fact even repulsed the blow sending the weapon flying. Yaria caught it in her magic just before it hit the ground, teleporting it out of the room seconds later.

"As demonstrated the Love has amplified her natural magical talent, as well as giving her increased alertness, reaction time, and strength. At such a low dosage, the effects will only last for an hour or so, which is why we do not widely distribute such highly refined Love." The Queen waved her hoof at the drone. "You may return to your seat." She nodded before flying back to her open spot in the crowd, receiving multiple envious looks from her peers.

Two more bottles of Love made their appearance from the inner pockets of Yaria's royal coat. "Love offers many benefits to our race, and we never have enough of it. But, that does not mean we can become reliant on it." Both disappeared back into her outfit, leaving mildly disappointed looks on many faces. "Love addiction is a very serious thing that causes reduced mental capabilities in most cases. It is why you should all train your magic without using it, to avoid it becoming a crutch. It is my belief that all of you can one day rival even a unicorn in magical talent, without the use of Love, if you put your minds to it. Any questions?"

The sounds of pencils to paper echoed across the entire room as most were busy rapidly taking notes, but one sheepishly raised a hoof. "Will we be tested on this?"

It was not Yaria, but the professor who stepped forward and answered. "Yes, all of this will be on your final exam. I suggest you go over whatever notes you have written to review, or consult your textbooks for extra guidance."

The bell rung, signaling that it was three o clock. "And that will be all for today from our Queen! Class dismissed!"

Snow slowly drifted downwards outside the window as Queen Yaria looked from within the University of Magic. Even as the winter slowly inched closer and the rest of the rivers this far north began to freeze over, Key Lake remained completely normal just as it did all year. The research team attributed it to one of the magical properties it had; after all its unnatural warmth was what allowed changelings to survive here in the first place and the reason Soryth existed in the first place.

Boats dotted the water's surface as far as the eye could see, traveling from dock to dock along the hive. It was more long than wide, as many changelings wanted to live as close to the waterfront as possible. Even so, Soryth was built to be spread out and non-crowded, and the northern climate plus a lack of real concentrated industry created a clean and tidy environment. It made it easy to see all the way across the lake to the other side, where the coastline marked the beginning of polar bear territory. A race and nation which, if the One Queen Chrysalis' words rung true, would become one of the first targets towards changeling greatness and the conquest of Equus...

"My Queen?" A drone in a lab outfit stepped forward, clipboard levitating beside him. "The labs are ready for you."

Yaria blinked. "Ah, yes. Thank you." Turning away from the pristine scenery, she followed the drone out of the office and into one of the many hallways of the university. All the students had already left hours ago; the only changelings left were the professionals and the professors, often the same changelings. Both took a halt at a nondescript pair of steel doors, which the Queen easily slid aside with her magic. Behind was a hidden elevator, kept secret from all but the staff that worked below.

Officially, the University of Magic studied the magic of Key Lake to discover the odd properties that the water possessed. And they did, having made several breakthroughs in the exact composition of magical radiation. But it was also an international cover front, created to hide the more covert discoveries and research undertaken. Pushing a hidden panel up, Yaria pushed a button below the rest of the regular floor ones. The elevator doors closed and the entire lift slowly descended, downwards past ground level and into the subterranean labs.

"Progress?"

The scientist flipped a page on his clipboard. "Still slow. All their attempts have so far ended in failure."

"So the usual. Any issues?"

"No, my Queen."

Yaria gave a short nod as the doors opened and they stepped out into the clandestine section of the facility. Drones wearing laboratory equipment scurried all across the halls, traveling across the halls with files and clipboards trailing behind. Most gave curt bows to their Queen as she passed, moving through and taking a left at the first intersection before eventually stopping at the door labeled "LOVE RESEARCH LABS". Once again she opened the door and walked into the next part of the building.

The room was entirely tiled, white and clean despite the fact that there were even more drones within than the hallway before it. Beakers, funnels and other chemistry equipment were strewn on the countertops, many filled with Love. A great vat of the precious substance sat over in the corner, hooked up to a metal piping system that went all across the room.

Spying a familiar drone, Yaria made her way across the room to the scientist. "Doctor Starynx," she addressed, "how is your research faring?"

Starynx didn't even bother looking up at the Queen, normally a slight that any royal would take personally and incur some sort of punishment. For a fellow researcher who had known Yaria since her hatching, however, the occurrence was completely normal. "Good to see you, Yaria," he said simply, a pair of glasses delicately perched in front of his eyes. "Same as always. You can see for yourself."

She looked up to see the scene beyond a glass window, yet more drones taking notes while looking at a rare sight in the hives; the colorful equines from across the southern border known as ponies. Some were in green hibernation pods sleeping soundly, others were getting things like their cutie marks and mane colors documented, and a few were even stumbling out a back door assisted by a changeling student. All were here voluntarily; if word ever got back to Equestria of pony hostages being used in experiments, even harmless ones... well, even Queen Chrysalis knew the importance of not overstretching her hoof too early. Everypony had their own room and board, though had no idea where they were. For all they knew, the facility could be anywhere from a factory in Vraks to the mountains of Neverwarm Point.

"So far we've found nothing in ponies that naturally increase the amount of Love extracted. Nothing about their cutie marks, their colors, being wide awake or in a pod... we've tried members of all the pony tribes, even a rare thestral, but still nothing." Starynx looked up at Yaria, a slight smirk forming on his face. "Well, every tribe except..."

"You know that's impossible."

He shrugged. "Just saying. If any species of pony gave more or higher quality Love, it would be the alicorns. They are the Queens of their race, after all."

"And it's exactly why it can't be done. It's only been pulled off once, and even then Princess Twilight Sparkle discovered the deception before the wedding even started. It's not happening."

A moment of silence befell them. "You know, I wish that we were still back in the old days."

Yaria looked at him inquisitively. "What do you mean, Starynx?" she asked.

"Back when things were good." He waved a hoof around for emphasis. "When you were just a Princess, and I was a student. When we could just be friends and not... not this."

The Queen of Soryth gave a long, drawn out sigh. It wasn't like she didn't look back at those years fondly as well, but there was no sense in dwelling in the past. "Those days are gone. They can't come back, Starynx. You and I both know that, and there's no use denying it."

Starynx slowly gave a nod before turning away. "I know." His voice sounded bitter, with just a hint of disappointment. "You should go. Tell Tartius that I send my regards," the scientist said. "See you later."

"Until next time... Starynx." Hiding her turbulent emotions well, she turned quickly and left back for the door. It hurt, hurt to see him like this, but she didn't have a choice. When did she ever have a choice? The luxury of such a thing disappeared long ago. Now only duty, the burden of duty remained.

Someday she would be free of that burden, Yaria knew. When she could be her old self once more, have friends and partners to talk to. But not today.

It would never be today.

Author's Note

Ah, science. Truly a wonder of modern times. Collaboration is a great thing, but that cooperation may soon be stretched to its breaking point...

I originally intended this fic to be a simple 5-chapter story involving one-offs for each queen. Fate has a way of changing courses, though, and now I have other plans for what happens next. The law of Chekhov's Gun states now that Starynx and his relationship with the Queen has to be utilized, and I fully intend on using that soon.