Queen Chrysalis ruled over her hive ruthlessly and with absolute authority. No drone was spared her wrath. If they messed up in some way or were found lacking in their abilities to perform tasks, they would be punished accordingly. Worse were the days when Chrysalis was bored, treating her drones harshly for the smallest of reasons, all the while making sure her subjects stayed loyal, obedient and kept in line with the mistreatment on display.
Whenever she laid a batch of eggs, she occasionally hatched a special drone with everything needed to develop into a queen, a potential heir to the throne, or a new rival to be crushed or exiled, like many have before.
Queen Necifera was one such drone, although she was far from being a queen in her current state. From the moment she hatched, Chrysalis could tell this drone was different from the others in the clutch. Necifera hatched with a rare mutation, causing her to have a dark red chitin compared to Chrysalis’s green. As Chrysalis saw her grow, she could see the full extent of Necifera’s mutation, her mane and tail revealing their bright red colors, and her eyes gained a crimson red glow to them.
Chrysalis wasn’t surprised or bothered by this, she saw many similar cases before. What really interested her, and the question that plagued her mind ever since Necifera hatched, was if this drone would betray her, like many of her children have before. Chrysalis was no stranger to this, many of her drones and alphas have attempted to seize the throne for their own. None have succeeded thus far, and ended up being exiled or, to those less fortunate, were kept as prisoners and taught a lesson, to put it lightly, by Chrysalis herself.
“Are you ready for your lessons today, Necifera?” Chrysalis asked bluntly, facing away from the drone as she entered the throne room.
“Yes mother,” replied the young drone, taking slow steps towards her mother.
Chrysalis nodded, pleased with the answer. “As you should. You already know your purpose, to grow up and be ready to become a queen and replace me should the time come,” she stated. “I hope you know how important these lessons are. Without them, you will surely fail your role as a queen.”
Necifera stayed silent, her ears aimed towards Chrysalis as she listened intently.
“Many of your sisters tried and failed to dethrone me, for they did not listen to my teachings,” Chrysalis then turned to look down at the drone, locking her eyes on Necifera. “I hope you don’t make the same mistakes.”
Although she felt a shiver running through her entire body when Chrysalis laid eyes on her, Necifera finally spoke. “But mother, do we have to keep practicing our violent ways? Can’t we change? Treat others better. Even with your own changelings you are aggressive and cruel.”
Chrysalis frowned and waved her left fore hoof dismissively. “What are you saying? You haven’t even seen the outside world yet, you don’t see how others treat us. You have to show your above them if you wish to rule. This has always been our way. Don’t tell me you're one of those defective drones with deviant ideas. It would be a shame to....replace you.“
Necifera let out a low sigh of defeat as she lowered her head slightly. “N-no mother, i’m fine. I won't bring it up again...”
“Good, now, let’s get started.”
***
Every day, Necifera grew and learned more with the help of her mother’s lessons. She would occasionally leave the hive for some scouting missions in pony territory, and whenever she encountered one, she found it easier to use hypnosis to get food from them, without harming or alerting her prey of her presence due to the ability to erase recent memories.
She made this her preferred hunting method and perfected it with every future mission, able to increase the effects of her hypnosis. The more she saw of the outside world, the more she hated the thought of taking her mother’s place, treating others and even her own changelings with spite.
Necifera didn’t want to inherit such a position, she didn’t share the same view as Chrysalis, and it took her some time to make a final decision on the matter. If she were to flee, her mother would surely see her as a traitor and would hunt her down, or prevent her from ever returning. If she were to stay, she would risk becoming like her. Necifera explored the hive whenever she got the chance, mapping out the quickest way she could make her escape through the dark, winding, shifting tunnels.
In her task, she came across the chamber where different crystals were kept. These small crystals stored raw love for later consumption, and were vital in keeping the changelings in the hive well fed. This would prove useful to have if Necifera successfully escaped. With that in mind, she began forming a plan.
As the days passed, Necifera endured Chrysalis’s lessons and the ever increasing discomfort she felt in the hive, especially near her mother. No matter how much she tried to distract herself and interact with her siblings, she couldn't shake the feeling of dread she felt within.
She also grew to be much bigger than a normal drone. She became an alpha, the last stage needed before becoming a full grown queen. If she wished to have full control of her life, she needed to act fast.
Before her plan to escape the hive could be put into motion however, she first needed to sever her connection to the hive link in order to prevent her mother from locating her.
Necifera knew this would be a hard and painful process. Once separated from the link, she would feel alone, isolated, and weak. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make, she just couldn’t bear living under such mental pressure. Once the alpha was sure she no longer had anything left to do in the hive, she prepared a spell that her mother taught her, one used to manipulate the link.
“I can do this…” Necifera whispered, her calm breathing and low voice amplified in the silence of the empty chamber where she stood.
The alpha closed her eyes, and focused her magic and mind. Her horn lit up, causing a blinding red light to envelop the room, and she cast her spell. Sharp pain began coursing through it, and slowly started spreading to the rest of her body. She clenched her fangs and winced as tears began streaming down her face, the feeling being stronger than Necifera expected.
She felt the voices she heard ever since she hatched, as well as her mother’s oppressive but comforting presence, slowly disappearing, and being replaced by a deafening silence. She stumbled, and as the spell finished, she collapsed. Her horn, it’s light now extinguished, was left smoking from the ordeal. The room went silent.
Her body laid motionless on the ground for a few seconds, before she rose on shaky hooves, panting, and tried using the link. Necifera was only met with silence, no voices could be heard, and her mother’s presence couldn’t be felt at all. She was alone with her thoughts. The alpha remained silent, still shaking and quietly sobbing to herself as her mind adjusted to the new emptiness inside.
“I-It worked…” She whispered after she calmed down, drying the last of the tears in her eyes with a fore hoof. “...No turning back now.” With the new feeling of emptiness inside her, but also newfound motivation, Necifera set her plan in motion.
***
It was time to make her move, it wouldn’t take long for her mother to notice something was wrong in the link. Necifera prepared a bag to take with her, late one night, and made her way to the crystal chamber, trying to act normal whenever she passed by one of her siblings. Once she arrived, she stashed a good number of crystals filled with love inside the bag and began her escape.
She made her way through the tunnels, trying to remember the quickest path out of the hive. Unfortunately for her, she ran straight into Chrysalis when she passed near the throne room.
“Ah, Necifera, i was just looking for you,” Chrysalis said, oblivious to what Necifera was planning. That is, until she quickly noticed the crystals poking out of the bag the alpha was carrying. She leaned in to get a closer look at it before frowning. "What are you doing with those?" She asked as she pointed towards the bag with her hoof. “And why can't I sense you on the link?” Chrysalis’s voice took on a more serious tone and her frown intensified, discovering she couldn’t sense Necifera’s presence in the hive link. “What did you do?” She towered before her, shooting daggers at the alpha.
Necifera let out a breath she didn't notice she was holding and managed to blurt out some words. “I…I'm sorry mother, but I can't be like you. I'll show you how we can change! I’ll show you how we can live in harmony with others!” She shouted, her adrenaline rising as she did.
Necifera’s horn flashed red as she dashed past her mother, causing it’s sudden bright glow to blind Chrysalis temporarily. As Necifera galloped away through the tunnels, her heart beating as fast as she was moving, she heard a sharp hissing echoing behind her.
“Ack! Stupid bug! What are you planning?” Chrysalis hissed, hints of anger and annoyance in her voice. She covered her still blind eyes with a fore hoof while she waited for her vision to return, backing up slowly while continuing her scolding. “Is that how you plan to take me down? Blinding me won't be enough!” Once her sight returned, Chrysalis looked around the area, and found no sign of Necifera. She was confused at first, expecting a confrontation. Then, as realization hit her, she snarled She practically screamed her orders into the link, providing with them a mental image of the rogue alpha to all her changelings.
The hive came alive, just as Necifera expected once her mother found out. She needed to move fast before all escape routes were blocked. The corridors shifted often, but she was able to stay on track with all the scouting she did earlier.
Changelings appeared to stop her progress, and she was able to dodge many, but, hesitantly and regrettably, she had to use force and magic to shove most aside.
Necifera didn’t want to harm any of her brothers and sisters, she merely wished to get away from her mother. As she dodged and weaved throughout the hive, she spotted one of the many exits, the light brightly shining inward.
She sped up, but abruptly came to a halt when another changeling landed in front of the entrance, blocking her path. This changeling was also different, like her. She had a dark purple carapace and a violet mane and tail. Nymph was her name, Necifera interacted with her many times on her missions and often inside the hive.
“Nymph….please, I don't want to hurt you. Let me leave, mother doesn’t have to know you helped me.” Necifera pleaded, breathing heavily in between words.
“Why are you doing this? Mother gave you everything a changeling could want. You can become a queen! Why flee from such a gift?” Nymph proclaimed, her cold tone very noticable, and her gaze fixed on Necifera.
“I was lucky to be born ready! You could become a queen with enough work and dedication! But i don’t want her legacy, i’m not like her. I’m not her! I will show her, I will show you and all my siblings that we can change! We can rule with trust and harmony in others! Please….just give me a chance. Let me pass, she doesn’t have to know...” Tears began running down her face again, the thought of having to hurt her sister forming in Necifera’s mind.
Nymph closed her eyes and sighed, before locking them on Necifera again. “You're making a mistake, pray it won’t be your last, sister,” she slowly stepped out of the way, allowing Necifera to continue her escape, still keeping her gaze fixed on the rogue alpha.
“Thank you sister. I promise, I'm doing this for the hive, for our race. I hope we can meet again on better terms,” Necifera reassured Nymph as she passed by her, and resumed her escape. She leapt into the air and, flying as fast as possible once outside, picked a direction at random. Just as she started to make distance from the hive, she heard a familiar voice, one that sent chills running down her spine one last time before she left the Badlands.
“RUN AS FAR AS YOU CAN! IT WON'T MATTER, I WILL FIND YOU AND YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR TREASON!” Chrysalis’s voice rang all the way to the edge of the hive’s area, her hatred echoing in her words.
Chrysalis was panting heavily at the entrance of her hive after having shouted so loud, the loudest she ever shouted. A guard walked up to her as she observed Necifera.
”Should we chase after her?”
“No, she won’t survive out there. She will just get herself killed with her little friendship quest. I should have seen it coming, such wasted potential.”
Chrysalis turned to enter her hive, quickly glancing towards Nymph, who was still staring intently, unmoving, at Necifera disappearing in the horizon, her eyes lost in thought. Chrysalis frowned with a mix of disgust and disappointment thinking about what just happened, before she whipped her head forward and disappeared in the depths of her hive.
Necifera was exhausted from flying so fast and for so long. When the adrenaline ran out, she surveyed her surroundings and made sure she wasn’t followed, preparing to land and rest. She made some distance from the hive, and managed to reach the entrance to the swamps neighbouring the Badlands. Once the alpha was sure she was in the clear, she landed to catch her breath.
It wasn’t far from her mother’s hive, but Necifera hoped she would be safe and able to remain hidden for some time.
She moved deeper into the swamp, and as she did, she noticed shadows passing from tree to tree, stalking her. She prepared herself for a fight, but when one of the shadows approached her, Necifera relaxed slightly, noticing up close that it was a changeling. It approached slowly, but without hesitation, and resembled one from her mother’s hive. It stopped in front of her, and stared at her without saying anything.
“H-hey there, what are you doing so far from the hive?” Necifera asked hesitantly, trying to keep her fear hidden, hoping this one didn’t receive Chrysalis's orders via the link.
The changeling cocked it’s head to the side curiously for a moment, before responding. “I don’t have a hive, not anymore. All changelings here have been exiled or went rogue.”
“Oh...I...see,” Necifera replied slowly, caught off guard by this revelation. “Uh, what do you mean all changelings here?”
Just as she finished asking her question, more shadows approached, different changelings quickly revealing themselves from behind trees and other foliage. Some also had different colors to their chitin.
“None of us here follow a queen or share a hive,” the same changeling explained.
“We help each other and try to survive,” another changeling chimed in.
“Some of us have gone feral from the lack of love,” said another, sadness noticeable in their voice.
Necifera listened silently to each of them, curiosity reflected in her expression, her ears pointing towards every changeling that spoke. She had no idea rogue changelings lived out here. None seemed to show any signs of aggression towards her either, and seemed eager to share their experiences. Taking advantage of this, Necifera questioned them about their past.
“So, what happened for you all to end up here?” The alpha finally spoke up, intrigued and wanting to know more.
Like before, almost every changeling replied with something..
“Refused to follow orders from the queen,” said one with a dark green carapace.
“Too weak to fight, left for dead outside while on a mission,” another one, with a large noticeable scar across their blue carapace, and a torn wing replies.
“I..fled from the hive after failing one of my tasks,” another said in a soft voice while lowering their head and rubbing their right fore hoof against the other.
As Necifera listened quietly, she couldn’t help but feel compassion and a strong sense of empathy for these changelings with every answer they gave. Her ears drooped down as she realised how most were abandoned or chased off their hives.
After listening to what all of them had to say, the alpha remembered the crystals she stole from her mother’s hive and had an idea.
“Would you like to become part of a hive again?” Necifera asked, hesitant but hopeful.
They all seemed to react differently from the question. Most started whispering among themselves, while others remained silent. The first changeling that stepped up to her then remarked.
“Now that I look at you, you seem different from us, bigger. Are you a queen?” They asked curiously.
“Well, I'm an alpha, but I learned how to be a queen from Chrysalis, my mother…” Necifera revealed. ”It’s a long story. I am like you, exiled. I fled the hive because I didn't want to be like her. Together, we can start a new one, and you're all welcome to join, regardless of any weakness or defects you may have. I will do my best to help and protect you,” her hesitation quickly turned into excitement at the idea of starting her own hive at last.
Many seemed to share her eagerness now, but some still voiced their hesitation due to their time spent as “free” changelings.
“You were part of Chrysalis’s hive?” Asked the same changeling who first questioned Necifera. “Are you sure she isn’t after you still? Would she really give up on an alpha? She was once my queen too, even if it’s been some time...” They revealed, worry now present in their words.
“She probably thinks i’m dead, that i can’t survive alone out here…” Replied Necifera, who then pulled out some crystals from her bag with her magic and gestured towards them with a fore hoof. "I was able to get some of these crystals with love in them before fleeing, it should be enough to keep us all going for a few days. With this, we can start making a hive of our own and keep it small and hidden from the prying eyes of my mother and her swarm."
The changeling looked at the crystals, then looked back at the other changelings observing them, many now excited upon sensing the love inside, and looked back at Necifera, nodding.
“Many here are starved for love as you can see. If you offer them some I'm sure they will agree to follow you. If not for being grateful, the urge to serve a queen and be a part of a hive still burns inside many. I can admit….i feel it too,” the changeling admitted, giving a small chuckle while placing their fore hoof on their chest.
Necifera smiled and nodded. “Good thing I brought these supplies then,” she turned to the crowd of changelings and gestured towards them with a fore hoof. “Which of you want to help me build our new home?” She asked loudly and confidently, a grin now forming on her face.
Many changelings, emboldened by Necifera’s words and personality, began walking up to her and expressed their will to join her. She offered each of them some love, one crystal being enough to feed and satisfy two changelings. As she did this, more and more changelings came to her, no longer hesitant. Then the same changeling with the torn wing and scar from before approached her.
“How will we build our hive? We will need some materials and a good spot to begin building it.”
“Well, you still know how to make and manipulate resin right? We can use that and the plant matter we find around the area to make one. It will be a rough start, but I believe we can do it if we all work together.”
The changeling went silent for a moment, staring at Necifera, before speaking up again. “Are you sure you’re from Chrysalis’s hive? You seem very….kind…” They noted, giving a short, nervous chuckle while rubbing their fore hoof with the other.
Necifera smiled. “That is why I fled, I don't want to be like my mother, I don't want to have her fame, and I need your help, I need my own subjects. Together, we can grow strong, maybe even stronger than her.”
Pleased with the answer, the changeling bowed. “Your will is my command, my queen,” and their actions were quickly followed by other changelings doing the same.
Necifera was beaming with joy at what she was witnessing. "Thank you mother, for all you taught me…" She whispered to herself as she closed her eyes. “I’m sorry i let you down.”
Once all changelings who joined her got their dosage of love, Necifera moved deeper into the swamp, looking for a place to start building her new hive. She came across some flowers in an open area, mixed with beautiful pink and purple lotuses. The area itsell was very spacious, trees gave way to smooth grass, while the canopy cast shadows that covered the whole area.
As Necifera bent down and examined a wilting lotus closely, its colors darker than usual, she had an idea.
"We could make our hive in the shape of a lotus. It would be hidden well underneath the canopy and mix in with the foliage. If we use our resin with plant matter, we can create a darker tone for our hive's petals as well, which makes it easier to blend in, and just as tough against the elements," she pointed out, gesturing to the different key points in the area with her hoof, before picking up the wilting lotus.
“This area should do, it offers a lot of space and we passed by here many times before. We know where is what in the surrounding area,” chimed in a changeling with yellow carapace.
“Perfect! Let’s begin then,” Necifera placed the lotus inside her bag and began collecting different materials around the area with her magic. Eager and confused at seeing their new queen taking the initiative, her new subjects followed, and did the same.
***
They all worked night and day to build their hive. Necifera helped as much as she could, even if she wasn’t as experienced with building. With many working together, the process of collecting materials and forming the structure and walls with the help of resin was made much easier. From the first day of the building process, Necifera noticed she began growing, her transformation into a full queen was starting. She also felt a bond start to form between her and her new subjects.
She felt herself lending her own love whenever a changeling was feeling down or exhausted, in turn consuming the remaining love she had in the crystals. She kept one however, and, using that lotus she placed in her bag earlier, mixed them together, making the crystal a part of it. She fashioned it into a crown and placed it on her head, the crystal glowing faintly inside it. She also decided to do the same for a necklace, using petals and resin to stick them together and harden the newly crafted accessory. She then placed it around her neck.
In just a few days the hive was fully built. Coincidently, Necifera was the same size as her mother too, and she felt much stronger. She became a queen at last.
She smiled and observed her hive from the outside. It was replicating a lotus flower perfectly, with giant dark purple petals on the outer layer, and pink petals in the inner layer, with a bulb-like shape, dark purple with tones of red, rising from the center, the combination of resin and plant matter making it look surprisingly natural. She sighed, relief in her voice as she spoke, addressing her subjects of varying colors.
“It’s finally done, we worked together and made something beautiful,” she proudly proclaimed.
“It was all thanks to you my queen. If you hadn’t come to us, we would continue to roam without a place to call our home,” the changeling who first approached her the day she fled spoke up and bowed to her, their voice filled with gratitude.
The queen smiled and placed her left fore hoof under their chin, lifting the changeling’s head to look at her. “We helped each other, and we will continue to do so from now on, and any who wish to join us will be welcomed with open hooves. As long as they don’t cause trouble, we will help any creature in need, we will show the other races how we can live together in harmony. And I promise you,” she turned to look at all the changelings standing before her. “I will never abandon you, my subjects, and I will protect you and the hive with my life if it comes to that,” she affirmed as she observed each of her new subjects with a newfound motherly love.
***
With time, the hive’s interior was shaped according to what was needed. A main hall was established in the center, with tables made of resin where changelings could interact with each other. Chambers were made in the walls to store any leftover material and gathered supplies. Using and hardening resin, a spire was able to be built in the center, its height reaching the top of the hive, with multiple ramps going up it’s length for easy access to the different levels. Some holes were also made in the structure itself, to allow some natural light to enter.
The spire, as well as the second level of the hive, housed a number of holes, serving as resting areas, where changelings could safely sleep in, the holes in question being very simple in design, but big enough for at least one changeling to comfortably fit inside.
At the request of many changelings, Necifera allowed the creation of a pod chamber to hold prey or serve as another sleeping area for changelings. It resembled her mother’s own pod chamber, with most of the pods being made of and held by resin from the ceiling.
The nursery was also located in the same level, where future larvae and nymphs could grow safely and where they would be taught the hive’s ways by assigned drones, who would keep watch over them and any future eggs that may be laid.
On the third layer, and the highest of the hive, was where the queen’s chambers were located. Although Necifera said she didn’t need any personal guards, many of her subjects insisted, so she gave in and decided to pick a group of guards suitable for the job, that would switch with others from time to time so as to not get tired from a shift that would last all day.
Her chambers were simple, a throne made out of plant matter, resin, and covered with large petals of the same material stood at the center, with her own personal chambers on the side, housing a simple bed where the queen could sleep in. Some holes were also made here, and gave Necifera a good view of the area surrounding her new hive.
As Necifera looked out one of these holes, examining the area, she noticed the crystal in her crown seemed to glow, more than what it normally did every day, and she could feel the love inside it becoming more potent. She decided to take advantage of this surge of energy and, with what she learned from Chrysalis, she started creating a link of her own in order to maintain contact with her hive at all times.
It took her some time to make it, and she spent most of it in her throne room, but once she managed to get it working after just one day, she gathered her subjects in the main hall, and, using her magic, linked them all one by one to her.
It was a slow and painful experience for Necifera, touching horns with her changelings to form the connection caused an extreme stinging sensation in her horn, but being able to hear her subjects voices in her mind filled the void she had inside ever since she fled Chrysalis’s hive, and the pain was all worth it. Her own subjects also expressed their gratitude at being able to hear their brothers and sisters this way, after such a long time. The new queen couldn’t be happier.
Over the next few days, Necifera taught her subjects how to effectively use hypnosis to catch, pacify and feed on prey without harming or completely exhausting it. Using that method, they kept a low profile while being able to sustain themselves off of any creature in the area. They would need to expand and seek out more prey in the future, but for now, they could keep themselves in a stable situation.
The crystal in Necifera's crown also became attuned to the queen’s magic, her presence in the link of her subjects increased and was very noticeable now, no matter how far she was from them, and emanated a comforting and soothing feeling at all times.
Since things settled down, Necifera was also able to have her own true children, fifteen eggs in her first clutch, with healthy dark red carapaces showing as they grew from larvae into nymphs, and finally drones. She loved them as much as she did the others, there were no exceptions, her subjects were all her children in her eyes, and deserved her love equally.
Her mother was still a problem too, Necifera could never forget that, and she knew that Chrysalis may catch wind of her hive’s growth. If she did, she would find her and destroy everything the new queen worked to create. Necifera swore, no matter what happened, she would not allow it, she would not let any harm come to any of her subjects, even if it cost her her life…
