Prelude: Welcome To The Hive
Not What It Seems
Prelude: Welcome To The Hive
Author: TempesttheDragnix
The grey pegasus looked down at the small black figure she cradled in her forelegs, feeling as if her heart were about to burst from joy. Beside her stood a male changeling drone, whose mouth was turned up in a gentle smile that looked out of place on his otherwise expressionless face. There, in the pegasus's arms, lay their newborn daughter.
The little thing looked like a cross between her parents. She had her mother's ivory-colored, tousled looking mane and tail, along with her beautiful bright golden eyes and feathery wings. Aside from these details, however, she looked exactly like her father, from the hole-filled hooves, to the small ridge-less horn poking through her mane. Her appearance, to some, would seem strange, but to her parents she was the most beautiful creature in the world.
Suddenly the newborn yawned and blinked, her eyes beginning to droop closed. The pegasus smiled and nuzzled her daughter, only to find tiny black hooves wrapping around her muzzle as the baby let out a coo of happiness. She let go as her mother wriggled her muzzle out of the tiny black hooves, then let her eyes close the rest of the way. The grey pegasus chuckled and lay her baby down in a small cradle, tucking her under a checkered blanket.
After a few moments of simply standing there, the changeling spoke up. "What should we name her?" he asked, looking over at his wife. Studying her child for a moment more, she smiled and returned his gaze, knowing the perfect name for their little angel.
"Ceremi," she said. "Our little Ceremi."
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High above the badlands that stretched out beside the Everfree forest, a changeling flew rapidly, his eyes streaming with tears. Beside him flew a grey pegasus with and ivory mane, and nestled in her feahtery wings lay a small crossbreed, fast asleep. Directly ahead of them, a few miles away, rose a giant black spire, it's peak reaching almost as high as the mountains surrounding it. The changeling looked over his shoulder at the child, his daughter, and felt his heart break into a thousand shards. They were going to have to give her away, leave her somewhere safe. And there was only one place where his daughter could go that he had ever felt safe. The place of his birth, the changeling hive.
There was a good reason for them leaving her here, he knew, but some part of him still couldn't accept the fact they had to part with her. That part of him kept saying that there had to be something that could have been done to prevent this, to stop the Sickness. Then little Ceremi could grow up with her mother and father. But they were going to have to leave their daughter, no matter how much the heartbroken drone wished otherwise.
The changeling snapped himself out of his thoughts as he and the pegasus reached the base of the spire, and lighted down on the ground. His wife landed beside him, her face wet with tears, and gently lowered their daughter, still sleeping, onto the ground at the base of the spire, followed by a small note. Bending down, she nuzzled the little one for the last time.
"Goodbye my little angel," she said, tears flowing anew. "Goodbye, and may you live a full life." As his wife was saying her last goodbyes, the changeling flew in front of the spire, blasting a hole a few feet up with his magic. At this height, anyling coming to investigate would surely see Ceremi. He glanced down again at his daughter, and a sharp stab of sadness and pain welled up in him. He motioned to his wife to follow and took off into the air, not daring to look back lest his heart break again.
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Diage dropped the sack of eggs she was carrying and let out a shriek as an explosion blasted a gaping hole in the wall beside her. For a few moments she just stared at it, to startled to react. Then she cautiously flew over to it, hovering at the mouth of the gap. She saw two figures flying quickly off, one black and one grey. She considered giving chase, but decided against it. They had a considerable head start, and they were flying to fast for her to catch, anyway. No, it would be better to stay and investigate the scene. Exiting the hole in the spire, she hovered closer to the ground and started looking around, searching for anything that might be significant. She didn't see anything, and was just about to go back inside when an infant's cry filled her ears.
She swiveled around to find the source of the wail, and nearly fell out of the sky when she saw it. It looked like a regular young changeling, except for the fact that it had a long ivory mane, feathered wings, and golden eyes that looked closer to the Queen's eyes than a drone's. Diage lighted down next to it, her heart pounding and her eyes wide with shock. Was this a baby queen?
Her thoughts were caught off by a bloodcurdling scream from the young one, who was obviously displeased at its situation. Looking closer, Diage found that there was a note attached to it. Intrigued, she picked up the note in her magic and started to read.
Dear reader,
This young one is here due to some unfortunate events pertaining to her previous environment. We have decided to leave her with the changeling hive, and we hope you will prove our decision the right one and keep her safe. Please do not tell her of us, or of the fact she was not born in the hive. We thank you for reading this and hope you will keep our little Ceremi safe.
Sincerely,
Ceremi's parents
Diage reread the note, then read it a third time. This child's parents had left it here alone? But then again, judging by the note, they had counted on someling seeing her and taking her inside. She looked back at the young one, and, with a deep breath, picked her up and flew into the spire, the note trailing behind, caught in her magic.
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Diage zoomed through the hallways of the spire, frantically dodging passing changelings and low-hanging stalactites. The baby, who had quieted down, was perched behind her head, its hooves wrapped tight around her neck in an effort to stay on. She skidded to a stop in midair as she arrived at her destination: the throne room. Bursting through the doors, she flew up to the throne, where Queen Chrysalis was sitting, looking a little surprised at the sudden intrusion. Diage took a few seconds to catch her breath, then addressed her Queen.
"I... found a newborn outside the spire...... it looks somewhat like a baby Queen...... this note was attached........ thought you would know what to do....." she said between breaths, handing Chrysalis the note. The changeling Queen read it over, then looked back up at the young one perched on Diage's shoulders.
"I will take her in. She could be useful." Chrysalis decided after a few brief moments. Diage, for her part, almost fell to the ground in shock. Chrysalis was taking the little one in? How could Chrysalis mother this child? Could she even mother anything? Why had she decided to do so so quickly? What about all the times she was gone? How cou-
"Diage!" Chrysalis suddenly demanded. "Did you hear a word I just said?"
"N-no, my Queen. I was a little lost in thought." Diage shrunk back a little, slightly afraid of what punishment she would receive. She had heard many stories about the cruelty of Chrysalis, and didn't want to be on the receiving end of her anger. To her surprise, though, the Queen smiled slyly, brushing the offense off.
"I said, little drone, that you will play a part in this little one's upbringing as well. From this moment on you will be her main caretaker, raising her whenever I am away or busy." She then turned to Ceremi, who was now held in her magic, leaving Diage to stunned to speak. She had a wicked smirk on her face, and didn't look very motherly at the moment.
"Well, Ceremi my dear, welcome to the hive."
