I woke up.
Again, but for real this time. I know because I woke up in a changeling pod just like Skitter said I would.
It's actually kind of pleasant, not quite like floating, but like wrapping yourself in the most comfortable blanket you can think of. It would be amazing to sleep in every night; as long as you ignore the fact that the goo and the pod shell were made out of bodily fluids. Granted, it is my fluids, but still...
Bracing my back against the top of the pod, I slowly stand up, forcing a split to appear. I feel the fluids spill out as I end up doing what must look like the strangest Alien impression. Though, standing amongst the pod's remains on top of my goo-covered bed, all I can think about is how much it's going to suck having to clean it all up.
Glancing at the alarm clock on my bedside table shows the time as "6:34 PM". I really hope this didn't throw off my sleep schedule; becoming a night changeling would definitely mess up my work-life balance.
My current priority, however, is taking a nice warm bath to wash off this mess. Jumping off the bed and walking to the bathroom, I find myself unavoidably tracking the goo along the floor. I sigh; just another thing to add to the list.
After first washing the majority of the gunk off with the showerhead, I fill up the tub with enough comfortably hot water to float in. Even though one part of me just wanted to get straight to transforming into my human self so I could get on with things, I realize that this is something I desperately need; a chance to de-stress and mentally unpack.
As I peacefully float there in the heavenly waters, it occurs to me that while the argument could be made that everything that has happened so far is just a dream and that I'm still dreaming, it seems just as effective as arguing that the entire universe is only a simulation. Essentially pointless for my situation. What matters now is how I decide to live in my current reality; accepting the consequences of my previous actions and just moving forward.
...Easier said than done, I suppose.
...
Do I regret accepting the changeling's plea for help? No... not after I've seen the things they've been through and all the hardships they've faced.
Would I have chosen differently had I thought it wasn't a dream and taken it more seriously?
I'll admit, going through the situation in my head, I'm a little surprised to find myself so readily accepting the same offer. The thought processes going into the decision are slightly different and I take little longer to consider my options, but, in the end, it all still comes down to saving multiple lives. Though, I wonder if the knowledge that I currently have is giving me a subconscious bias.
All things considered, it could be worse; thanks to the changeling's abilities, I at least get to continue my life as normal. Relatively speaking, of course, with the added responsibilities of a changeling queen. Speaking of, I need to remember to ask for a full rundown of changeling queen-specific duties.
...
I grab a baseball-sized sphere of water in my magic field and levitate it just above the surface.
It's fascinating to me that it's even possible for changeling magic to exist in this world. Does it mean that magic is already here and humanity just hasn't figured out how to find it? Or maybe the mages of the legends past were actually real and it's only become a forgotten science. The implications are staggering.
How much has my decision changed not only my life, but the future of the world itself?
And on that note, I've officially dwelled too deeply in the bath of self reflection; time to get a move on.
After draining the bath and drying off with a nearby towel, I prop myself up onto the sink to get a better look at myself in the mirror. I don't appear any different than I did in the hive-mind, which brings up the interesting question of how my mental construct knew how to look that way; though, that might just be a changeling thing.
Closing my eyes, I once again go through Echo's lesson about transforming.
"You're being too visually literal about it. Your fire isn't in any specific location nor is it something you see; save the visualization for whatever your target form is. The fire is your essence, something that is suffused through your entire being. You need to feel it."
I wasn't sure if it was going work in the real world as well as it did in the hive-mind, but fortunately, just like my appearance, it was a perfect emulation. Feeling my fire, I pictured my human self and willed the change to happen.
The ever-consuming flames that structure my soul rage to life, break the barriers into the physical world, and quickly cover the entirety of my chitinous form. Instead of burning me to ash, the magical fire reforms my body into that which was commanded. Its job finished, the fires recede, and, as soon as it had begun, it had also ended.
I could already feel that I was successful, but looking at my reflection confirms it.
Well, mostly. I think my hair was a couple inches shorter yesterday, and my skin is probably too immaculate. I'm also naked, but, according to Echo, transforming parts of the body into clothing is extremely hard to pull off convincingly. Only the most skilled changelings bother with it, and even then only in emergencies.
Shrugging, "Well, good enough for me," I say to myself, then facepalming, "Dammit, forgot the voice." And after a few more changes and tests, got my voice to roughly the correct pitch.
All in all, I was in a great mood; I took a nice bath, completed my first physical transformation, and didn't feel like my world was crumbling around me anymore.
As I walked into my bedroom to get some fresh clothes, my good mood dropped instantly.
"Fuck, I hope I have enough detergent for this."
"Spot, out damned spot," I mutter, scrubbing the carpet furiously.
Finally giving up, I toss the brush in the cleaning bucket and lie down on the floor in defeat. From my angle, I can see the clock displaying "7:41 PM". A quick calculation says I've been at this for around a half an hour.
It's official, changeling goo stains like a bitch. Thankfully, the carpet's natural color is white, so bleach might be an option; though I'm going to have to buy some new bed sheets. I make a mental note to add sheets and bleach to the shopping list, I'll need to stop by the store next time I drive home from work.
...Wait, work?
Cursing, I scramble up to where I put my phone next to my clock. A quick check of the notifications shows that Chris did indeed call this morning when I was asleep. With a sigh, I send off a quick text.
—(Hey, sorry I missed your call earlier, I was out of it for most of the day)
I didn't really expect an immediate reply, but he must not have been busy since I received a response a few seconds later.
(I was getting a little worried, you ok?)
—(I'm actually feeling better now, thanks, I think all I needed was some rest)
(Thats good, you got that laptop right?)
(if you feel up to working tomorrow, we're really cutting it close on the deadline and could use ur help)
—(yeah, I was planning on it)
(alright, ty)
Well, that's that, I suppose. Tomorrow is planned out then, and I don't have any more immediate issues to take care of at the moment. I could go to the store now, but I don't know if I'm ready to face the world yet. Maybe I'll turn on my computer and play some–
My Queen?
Oh, someone new? This one is... Maul?
I apologize for the sudden interruption, but, due to recent events, I highly recommend that we meet to discuss the hive's safety
Oh boy, that sounds pretty serious; I guess I know what I'm doing now.
Alright, where should I head?
It would be best if we convene in the hive-mind map chamber so I can show you everything
Sounds good, be there in a second
Now it's my turn to show up somewhere; ever since seeing Skitter and Echo materialize, I've been wondering if I could pop in wherever I want, too. Considering that I still don't know the layout of the place and that I've only been to a couple rooms so far, I'm not holding my breath.
Remembering the emphasis on energy conservation in Echo's lesson, I strip out of my clothes and revert back into a changeling before jumping onto the bed.
"Unless you're out on a mission or sleeping with a target for love harvesting, it's generally a bad idea to be constantly disguised when it's not necessary. While the energy drain is usually negligible, you'll never know when you might need that energy for a future emergency."
Not that I mind all that much, personally, I'm just happy that I can switch whenever I want.
Now, how to get to the map room without knowing where it is. Maybe I can use Maul as a homing beacon?
Mentally feeling out for the presence of my changelings, I'm surprised to find that Maul's essence actually does have a... well, I'm not sure I'd call it a direction, but more of a quantifiable location. The essences of Skitter, Echo, and Fractal don't currently have this quality, but Grift's does, and I think he's in the same area as Maul.
With that information on hand, I focus on them and will myself inward...
I appear in a room in front of a low circular table containing shallow impressions that I quickly see forms a fairly detailed map. Maul and Grift stand to my right studying the table and discussing some issue.
"Yes, I did it!" I give a small cheer at my accomplishment, having been half expecting to fail at getting here.
"–ther choice than to–Ah, My Queen, good evening," Maul says, interrupting his conversation with Grift and giving me a small bow.
Grift, having been startled by my appearance, immediately prostrates himself with the deepest bow he can muster, stuttering out, "M-My Queen!"
Caught off guard by his intensity, I clear my throat and say, "Uh, at ease, Grift; no need to be so formal for me."
"Yes, My Queen," he says, getting back up, the tension only slightly leaving his body.
In the ensuing silence, I'm struck by the differences in their appearances when compared to each other. While Grift seemed pretty standard for a changeling, maybe a little bigger than Skitter or Echo and bit rough around the edges, Maul was something else.
Standing at least a head and a half taller than Grift—or a little bit higher than my shoulder—everything about him screamed "Changeling Warrior". Obviously having been in more fights than I could possibly guess, his scars, while noticeably fewer than what had been before receiving my energy fall-off, cover his body in numerous places. One particularly old-looking scar went right through where his left wing was once located, it being all the more impressive when I realize that he's been able to survive for so long as a fighter despite such a handicap.
Finally ending the awkward break, Maul absentmindedly flicks his remaining wing and says, "So, I apologize that our first meeting couldn't be about more pleasant topics, but we have much to discuss about the future threats to our hive."
"Yes, that would be something that would be better discussed sooner than later, wouldn't it. How dire is the situation?"
He shifts uncomfortably on his hooves, "We... don't really know. Much of the common knowledge that could shed light on our current issues was lost with the death of the rest of the hive. It's true we have the archive, but because writing materials are difficult to come by out here, nor were they ever a priority on supply runs, only unconventional information was ever allowed to be documented and stored."
Cringing, I say, "That's extremely unfortunate. Does that mean we don't know what enemies or monsters are out there that could possibly attack the hive?"
"Actually, we do; as a member of the guard, I'm already aware of all the physical threats that we usually face, like cave crawlers or bugbears. The problem lies in that my knowledge is based on one-on-one or small group combat; with our currently limited numbers, a loss is all but guaranteed if we get swarmed."
Turning, he taps a hoof on the table causing the marks to move, appearing as a map that's zooming out. When it finally stops, he says, "This is a map of the hive, and these," he taps the table again, making multiple small green lights show up on the outer edges surrounding the hive, "are warding spell-stones placed in every exiting tunnel connected to Equestria's various cave systems. It's thanks to these enchantments that we aren't continuously attacked through these tunnels, either by pests or by monsters."
I take a moment to observe the map and light placements before asking, "So what's the issue?"
"Enchanted gems like these need to be periodically maintained, otherwise, they'll slowly lose effectiveness over time before ultimately failing altogether. Since we don't know when they'll fail, and because the way to maintain these gems was common knowledge amongst the enchanters..." he trails off.
"Everything could fail tomorrow and we don't know how to fix it." I say, finishing his thought, then continuing, "Why not just collapse the tunnels so nothing can get in?"
"That's what we had to do on these two here after their wards failed earlier today," he says, pointing to said tunnels on the map, "and, yes, doing so mitigates the problem, but we're severely crippling ourselves at the same time." Once more, he taps the table and the map zooms out to a country-wide view with multiple glowing lines spread out from the hive.
"These are the cave systems that allow us to travel to and from Equestria without the worry of being caught; collapsing all the tunnels would leave us with only above-ground roads to traverse, putting heavy risk on any changelings that need to go there."
"So it's a 'fucked if we do, fucked if we don't' situation then," I sigh while going over other potential options in my head.
"But Fractal said she would try to figure out how they worked," Grift pipes up unexpectedly, then turns to me, "She's an enchanter and the one who created the spell-stones for forming the new hive." Then, after a moment, he blanches as if realizing something and quickly bows, saying "I'm sorry for interrupting, My Queen, it won't happen again."
Giving him a concerned look, I say, "Please, you don't have to that; I'm not Chrysalis and I'm not going to punish you or anything."
Slowly, he gets back up and looks away in embarrassment, "Thank you, My Queen."
Nodding, then giving my attention back to Maul, I ask, "What do you think, can Fractal do it?"
"I think that planning on her success is a risky gamble," he says with a grim look, "She's definitely talented, but, as she had only just finished basic enchantment training by the time we were all sent out for the invasion, she never had the chance to learn the ward recipe. As it is, we were miraculously lucky that we managed to find the hive-transference recipe in the archives."
"Hmm," I went quiet in thought. There's really not a lot of options here, and I have to keep the hive's safety in mind above all else, right? But Echo is still out there, and if we close everything up right away, it might put her at risk. Maybe drawing this out is the best tactic here.
Looking up from the table, I say to them, "For now, let's stick to blocking off tunnels as the enchantments fail. Fractal is the only one of you I haven't met yet, so I'll have to get with her soon and get her view on this. Hopefully, she'll be able to discover the enchantments from the remaining gems and we can get them back to full charge.
"If worse comes to worst, we'll just have to be better safe than sorry and have everything closed up for a while," I finish, then asking Maul directly, "In the event that we do come up with a solution, the tunnels could just be cleared out, right?"
He brings a hoof up to his chin, thinks, then says, "With enough changelings to work with, yes; but with the number we have right now, it would take weeks of non-stop labor to clean out every tunnel. As such, we could do it if it was absolutely necessary, but I'd recommend that we wait on it until you arrive and we have a bigger population."
Wait, hold the phone, "Until I... arrive? To the hive?"
"Well, yes," he says, pausing, then with a worried look, adds, "You are coming, right? The queen should be with the hive."
Furrowing my brow in confusion, I say, "I mean, I don't know how I could; I'm on a different world, after all, probably even a different universe."
Both of them glance at each other with dumbfounded looks, trying to make sense of what I said. Grift mutters, "...a what?", and Maul looks back and asks, "You're not just in a country beyond Equestria's borders?"
"That's not technically a wrong assumption, but—wait, you don't know..." I suddenly realize, then wonder, "Does Skitter not know?"
Both of them are just silent, not sure what to say.
"Oh..." I finally concede, "I'm going to have to call together a hive meeting, aren't I?"
if they do end up naming the hive after a color, i'd honestly recommend Viric, since it's a green-adjacent color and is also the color of shallow sleep and considering that they primarily interact with their hive in their dreams...
the changlings overshot the serch for their new queen and now have to figure out interdimentional travel
I like where this is going. A little hard to command a nation, even a small one, when a literal universe separates you. Also imagine all of the neat Human tech Tyler could bring over to help the hive if they manage to establish a 'doorway' to Earth. I, for one, am excited at the possibilities.
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Our technology is designed for five fingered/digit hands. The changelings would either have to be constantly in a 'disguised' state to use or, or adapt it to work with hooves.
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"Viric"
Now that's a good name for a shade of green. Shame it's so bright though. I wish it was darker.
10809039
This is true, or they could also magic up some hands. Depends on what rules/plot points OP has established for the story. Could be Tyler gets a one-way ticket to the hive with no return possible. I'm just excited at the possibilities of where this story may go.
10809043
In that case, he should bring LOTS of technical documents covering everything from metal working to nuclear physics. As well as a low power consumption laptop with lots of storage space, solar cells, power generation/conversion equipment, and a gun or two if he can get those. Tyler could change the world in an instant with the knowledge we humans have gained. He should ALSO bring along information on the 'darker' parts of our history/societies, as a warning to both the changelings and to others on that world, about how the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
10809041
the closest irl color to viric is an emerald green.
if the carapace color was more of a yellowy orange, i would have suggested Cosmogone.
10809059
ehhhhhhhh maybe not a gun, or a number of those other things actually, don't want to risk causing a situation where the technology available far exceeds the development of the world. such situations are usually very, VERY bad for the, for lack of a better term, uplifted, world.
10809078
One need only look to the Krogan in Mass Effect for a good example of that.
Yeah, this is... very different from what I assumed. I didn't think he would transform in the "real" world as well. I thought the way it would work would be he is basically a normal human, but acts as the hive mind and can visit it whenever he dreams. I assumed the changelings were also aware that he is literally an alien. Skitter saw and felt his human form, so I guess he just thought he was a foreign species he's unfamiliar with. It'll be sad if they realize that the only one who answered their call for help was an alien with absolutely no knowledge or experience regarding changelings. But, I mean, their plan was basically to take a resident of their world and transform them into a changeling queen regardless of their species or sex? For some reason that sounds more ridiculous than just using Tyler as an off-location server/group chat while he manages the hive mind and logistics like a RTS game.
Also, none of this is criticism. If anything I gotta give major props for leaving me just as surprised as Tyler; seriously, you got me good. The only problem I have is my fear of Tyler having to mate and lay eggs may actually happen should they figure out how to transport him to Equestria. Soooo, yeah, staying on Earth but with changeling powers doesn't sound so bad anymore.
(Also... "sleeping with a target for love harvesting?") I guess these changelings are even more like succubi/incubi than in the show.
Wow this comment got long.
And so the ball rolls. Where it will land nobody knows.
10809039
Actually, our technology does not require hands for use, though it assumes some type of tool-holding appendage. Consindering that ponies can hold tools with their hooves, most of human held tools are usable with minimal to no alterations. Bigger machines usually need operator but only to man the controls, so it is a non-issue either.
Like you said later, Mothra better be sure to bring a lot of learning material and technical documentation, as well as information storage and processing unit. Luckily, memory advancements made memory cheap, so Tyler can basically download all wikipedia pages and some other info, like patents and blueprints, on several cheap USB-SSD sticks. Also it will be better to by several books on complicated subjects to make sure that information is easily accessible.
So, for embarking into our new home we need: Laptop (info processing), USB-SDDs filled with digital data (info storage), portable generator (either solar, dynamic or thermoelectric) (elecricity source), UPS (electricity storage), books abd journals (immediate knowledge source), Printer with printing material (to make more books from digital data).
If possible, also take samples of technology, from electrical tools to industrial machines.
Oh~, did not see that twist of the cross dimensional stuff being an accidental act of desperation no-ling is even the slightest bit prepared for coming. Neat!
Nice seeing logistics being a proper btch in a story about 'human turned royal in Equestria' by-the-by. That stuff almost always just gets glossed over, so it's a rare treat that sort of stuff actually mattering for the main plot.
sweating intesfises
If it ain't one thing, it's another, from goo stains on the carpet to dimensional gaps separating queen and hive, heh.
10809039
I don't recall precisely, but don't all changelings have basic magical ability? Telekinesis would make handling tools a simple matter, maybe even better than hands since they could probably work said tools in cramped spaces where our arms would get in the way.
10809147
Much of our current tech is either touch screen, requires rapid button presses or turning of nobs and switches. I very much doubt many ponies or changelings could use them effectively. Not to mention the fact that things like vehicles are built with the size of the average human in mind. Based on what we see in the show, many of the sapient species are a decent bit smaller than humans. Ponies/Changelings/Kirin/etc. are likely less than half the height and weight of an average human, so they would have to redesign ALL of the vehicle schematics Tyler brings them.
You know, I was wondering if there would be a way for Tyler to communicate with the others without needing the hivemind. It never occurred to me that the changelings didn't know that their queen didn't have a way to get to them. Are they even aware that he contacts them through his dreams?
I wonder if now they'll figure out why their hivemind has an impossible range. It can be advantageous. But's it's kind of a case where it comes with a sacrifice.
I'd probably enjoy this story more if it didn't force me to switch to dark mode.
Something I've always thought about stories like this, humans have a metric load of information, transfer as much of that info as you can and work to integrate it into a hive.
Just a thought, awesome chapter btw
10809109
Spoilers: There will be eggs and wholesome changeling family moments in the future. Thought I might as well rip that bandaid off now since that first part won't be happening for a while, and, as I'm aware of those who aren't really into that sort of thing, I didn't want to unfairly give a false hope that it wouldn't be happening.
As far as the changelings were concerned, they really only had two options. Either birth a new royal egg (which was nearly impossible for them in their circumstances), or get a volunteer to become queen.
10809278
Really only the first contact was through a dream, everything after that is a trance state that all changelings use to get to the hive-mind. However, they can actually sleep while within the hive-mind and the body at that point treats it just like normal sleep.
Loved the update! Keep it up!
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10809220
That is all just form factor changes. The basic tech is still viable. Unless they somehow manage to overcome all the hurdles of mass theft from Earth, they're going to be building it all from scratch anyways. A good chunk of it wouldn't even be able to be manufactured without first manufacturing all the underlying tech first. For example, can't make cars without refining metallurgy first which requires refined smelting which requires an industrial base. And that doesn't touch on the fuel or lubrication. What about rubber? Microchips are right out.
His best option is to start building an industrial knowledge base with a focus on chemistry and metallurgy and then electricity production and storage. Only after all that will he be able to even start on basic electronics. Resistors, capacitors, radio transmission and reception. To get into computing he'll then need semiconductors and logic gates. Even then the industrial refinement needed to produce microcontrollers is decades away.
Regardless, he should bring as much as he can over. Get EVERYTHING written down. Paper is easier to recover than a broken hard drive. Generally lasts longer too. Until they can produce something by themselves, any tech he can smuggle over is an irreplaceable artefact.
10809430
I'm not against it as long as it's a natural progression of the story and doesn't feel shoehorned in. I've been enjoying it so far. My one criticism being that he just accepted something so bizarre happening to him but that was mostly answered this chapter by him still being half convinced he's still dreaming. I'd like to see a bit more mental/emotional conflict as he comes to realize it is actually happening.
Looking forward to the next chapter!
nope. They didn't. lol. Well time for the lings to go interdimensional...and hopefully eventually figure out their own version of the reformation.
10809430
discussion of spoiler
I really like the running a hive from another universe bit as far as i'm aware no one's tried to do that before so it's new and original.
(I also thought it was going to be like RustDust did that he was just going to be a human with a hivemind but him having changeling powers makes it much more interesting)
Which is why I don't like the idea of mc laying eggs as it means one of 3 main options.
1. (I like this option best of the bad options.) mc lays eggs in equestria, it's likely to be a one way trip for him to get to equestria, this ends the novel remote aspect of the story but it would continue on as a more run of the mill HiE as a changeling story with the additional rare hivemind without him trying to hassle with his day job.
2. (second choice but hard to implement) if it turns out interdimensional travel is easy mc can just send any eggs to the appropriate universe or jump between them as needed, too op though as it's basically an infinite money cheat since there is such a drastic difference in values between verses, (gold, gems cheap in equestria, tech cheap on earth) could be mostly nerfed by saying it doesn't work on anything inorganic even if they eat it.
3. (worst case scenario) mc lays eggs on earth, this results in him running 2 hives one in equestria and one on earth. It complicates the story and ends up with changelings running around as human and stuck on earth.
The have your cake and eat it too option would be to have the changelings in equestria lay the eggs instead of the queen, this is my prefered outcome as it allows us to continue to explore the remote dynamic without overly complicating matters but I don't think that option is on the table.
instead of closing them preemptively why not make a detection spell that would collapse the tunnel if a non changeling creature entered the cave
10810072
Oop spoilers discussion go brr
Now, this is all going to be speculation but I'm going to take what we know of queen reproduction and extrapolate it out.
To create a queen egg multiple members of a hive, or a previous queen, must contribute mass amounts of stored love into an egg. Sort of like royal jelly with bees and whatnot. This puts to me that a queen is birthed for a specific purpose: being a hive-mind conduit, with no further differences from regular drones beyond being taller. Why? Previously in the story it was said that the hive lost loads of hive knowledge after the queen's death, therefore the queen is important to the shared mind. Secondly, in order for drones to be able to produce queens – following insect logic – the queen must not deviate too far from the standard drone makeup. This is regardless of the amount of energy expended in the creation of said queen.
Based on these facts, we can surmise that the drones could spend mass amounts on a lower scale to produce more drones, as they can produce a queen on their own. Therefore, it would be more internally consistent with the story for drones to lay/create eggs.
You've got a stray comma there
And here
I'm*
Loving the story btw. As for him eventually going to Equestria, I hope it'll be a while. It's a very interesting dynamic currently and while I do think it's probably eventually necessary in some form, there's a lot that could be explored in the human world before that.
10810136
Many thanks
Well, considering that the hive is going to want to try and "repopulate" at some point, I imagine that subject's going to have to come up eventually, regardless of whatever the queen's specific role in that might be in this universe. But time for that later--probably want to finish "setting up shop," as it were, first.
I was actually just wondering about that. Clearly there are still a few details about all of this that haven't been adequately explained yet.
Might be wise, yes. That's what y'all get for assuming anyway.
10809011
I second the viric green suggestion--it does seem like a very "changeling" sort of color, and "viric" sounds like it'd fit perfectly to their naming conventions too.
10809220
Meh, they can grip a stylus with their magic, right? Probably multiple at once, too. And styluses, or anything serving as a makeshift one, aren't hard to make (unless they're for specialized purposes but I doubt that'll be too relevant here) So there you go, that solves the manipulating of controls issue for touchscreens, and technically keyboards as well--probably a few other control schemes I'm overlooking at the moment too.
And that's all assuming just their magic itself can't be used to operate these controls via telekinesis, of course, because in most instances, all you need to do is apply the right amount of pressure--doesn't really matter through what means you do it so long as it doesn't damage the device in the process.
10809278
You know, the fact they can still contact each other so via hive mind despite the unfathomable distances might just hold the solutions they need to resolve this problem, if they can figure out why they can do that in the first place.
10809620
Likewise, I feel like Ty-Moth needs a point where he sits down to comprehend just the full depth of what he's gotten himself into. He's handled it well thus far, and the fact he's already decided he probably wouldn't have chosen differently even if he had known then what he knows now makes me expect he'll only continue to do so. But he's also just sort of skimming the surface of the situation thus far--hasn't really had the chance to really think all the way through the great many implications still ahead for himself and his hive.
Also, at some point this is also going to mess with his personal identity, and he's going to have to sit down and work out just who he is now, seeing he's not really "Tyler" as he knew before anymore, even if the change is only a superficial one (something else Ty-Moth probably ought to ponder about himself at some point, whether or not the changes are just superficial or if they go "deeper" than that too).
10810086
The fact that they don't readily know how the charms safeguarding the tunnels work in the first place suggests to me such a spell might be currently beyond their skills. Might be a good idea to look into at some later point, but right now probably not on the table for them.
10810255
well this aswell, it's mostly due to what Viric is associated with, that being, dreams. And how does our queenly protag mostly interact with their hive? through dreams, well, that's how it was established anyways. (and the fact that the carapace color of the hive is a shade of green aswell.)
10810260
Yeah, it just seems perfect the more it's discussed, isn't it?
10810265
YEP!
I reckon at somepoint they gonna find a way to bring him, her? To equestria
Yep, you have responsibilities now dude, no more playing games all day
I do like how, while the protagonist is not technically gender neutral, the story perspective thus far does not really gender them. That's a nice touch to this story, intentional or not, as it allows the reader to fill in the blanks.
Had this on my read later list but after a swift blitz through the available chapters you've got me hooked! Can't wait to see where this goes
Spoiled for spoiler discussion sake.
I'm expecting two things to happen to our new queen and her hive:
1) They truly are the last of the changelings are going have to rebuild while dealing with the after math of a failed invasion and possible retaliation.
2) Chrysalis and a nice chunk of the original hive survived and take notice of this new queen leading to:
a: Chrysalis will attempt to kill the new queen to regain control of all changelings
b: Chrysalis will attempt to subdue the new queen as a vassal to help fight the princesses, and rebuild her hive.
Well fuck, consider me hooked
This’s just getting more interesting as it goes on.
"It's ok! We'll just ask Purple Smart to open an interdimensional doorway!" said Bughorse #1.
"But Purple Smart is Pone! Pones hate bugpones!" grunted Bughorse #2, who was currently dressed like a caveman and carrying a club, because that was his character.
"Ah, but you see, she has a WEAKNESS we may exploit should we seize the initiative! Purple Smart has been commanded to engage in FRIENDSHIP whenever the opportunity presents itself! Therefore, we need merely present ourselves in a sympathetic manner and offer comradery, to which she will ultimately concede, after which we obtain the desired outcome and bring our new queen to Equestria! AND THEN TAKE OVER THE WORLD!! NYAH HA HA HA!!" cackles Bughorse #3, who was wearning a black cape and top hat, and twirling a long curling mustache with one of his leg holes.
"I... hate... all of you," growled Bughorse #4, who was actually a Displaced human and hated everything having to do with Pones. Like most Displaced humans. Only he didn't have a Darth Vader mask, so he was basically powerless.
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Mothra doesn't need access to semiconductors to get computers. Basic computers are slow and big, but they can be used with only basic electronics. Besides, access to magic made mechanical computing devices, which are even more basic than electronic computers, viable.
Mechanical computing devices would be great help to increase quality of big projects, actually, before basic electronics are re-invented.
Well fuck... I guess the Changelings are going to use there human minded queen as server/hive mind host until they can make a Queen of there own... Unless they can think in portals
Hehe yeah, sometimes the important questions aren't the ones you assume.
Let's see if they can build him an avatar...
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Lol
There's a lot of tense issues in this chapter. You swap between present and past tense in several places, and you should go over it carefully to fix them.
That said, this was a fun chapter!
If the Hive had some established shell companies, they could just commission some unicorns to make warding crystals as “company security systems,” and then use them in the Hive.