● Edited:

May 9th, 2020

Title:

Changeling Civil War

Summary:

A War between Reformed and Unreformed Changelings devolves into a Global War, as the other races are dragged into it. Reimagining of Season 8 and the MLP movie. No Friendship School, yet. Idea based on Brony Notions' hypothesis of a changeling civil war, found on YouTube. Sadly this epic season never happened in the show. So I wrote my own version.

###

● To Where and Back Again,

1 Moon after the Episode.

"KILL ME!" Thorax screamed as he laid in the hospital wing.

His elder brood mate rolled his eyes. Pharynx never was good with the whole "Emotional Support" thing. The biggest problem is that he was secure in his jerkiness. He still hadn't embraced the changes to the hive but... Thorax was grateful for him staying. Most of the unreformed changelings had left to find Chrysalis but a few had stayed, including Pharynx... Why Thorax wasn't sure. Thorax liked to think it was his brother's way of saying "I Love You", staying by his side even though he disagreed with him... but who knows what was really going on inside the captain of the changelings' head.

"For Mother's sake," Pharynx scuffed, "All you've done is laid a few eggs. It can't be THAT bad."

"YOU TRY IT!" Thorax screamed.

This was Thorax first time laying eggs. It was exhausting and painful and just HORRIBLE! And he would have to do this once a moon after this! His body had finally reached maturity and for Queen Changelings that meant their bodies started asexually manufacturing eggs.

The Changeling nurse did a quick scan of him with 'her' horn. Truthfully she was just a drone and had no gender but Changelings call themselves by whatever gender they identified with. Only Queens had a gender and they were all asexual females.

"That's it, take deep breaths," The nurse insisted, "In... and... Out..."

Thorax obeyed as he pushed the last egg out... they were so small. Only the size of his hoof. How did they hurt so much!?

"There we go," the nurse smiled as she cleaned the final egg and put it on the cart with the others. "All done."

Pharynx yelled, "That can't be it! He only laid 7 eggs so far! Chrysalis laid dozens of eggs at a time!"

The nurse waved off, "This is perfectly normal. Thorax is a young queen."

"King," Thorax insisted. He spent his entire life identifying as a boy. Just because his body ascended into a female when he took over the hive doesn't mean he didn't still see himself that way.

Truthfully there were no male changelings. Only genderless drones and asexual Queens.

The nurse rolled her eyes, not seeing the hypocrisy in that, "My point is. Thorax is young. His body is barely physically mature enough to have offspring. He won't be able to produce as many eggs as Chrysalis could for at least a thousand years. We'll be long dead by the time Thorax reaches full maturity,"

Thorax hung his head. He didn't like being reminded that all his friends, siblings, and even the children he had just give birth to would all die in just a few hundred years.

Changelings, and nearly everything else on Equus, lived about as long as ponies, but Queens? Changeling Queens were cursed with longevity. They could still die... just not of old age. He could very well be in his prime longer then their planet lived.

Pharynx showed a rare look of sympathy, "Get some rest," he ordered his brother.

"But..." Thorax tried to find the words as he looked over at his eggs.

They were still transparent, due to being so newly laid, but they would harden and develop white spotted shells within another moon... but for now... he could see inside them... see the bodies of his still developing children. They were the first naturally born reformed changelings. The first in recorded history... born without sin... and would never know what it was to be hungry... They were his first children... suddenly all the pain he endured had become worth it. He wanted to be a better parent then Chrysalis. He would actually know their names, and raise them with all the love they could ever want.

"The nanny clutch will look after them with the other nymphs," Pharynx assured, "You can snuggle them after you wake up, but for now you're no good to anyone. Even Chrysalis needed rest after laying her eggs. And we both know she is a thousand times tougher then you."

"So you suddenly believe me it hurt." Thorax eyed suspiciously.

Pharynx glared and gave their new King a wack upside his head.

"OWIE!" Thorax exclaimed, with royal dignity fitting his station.

"Quit being a whiny wimp and go to sleep," Pharynx ordered before looking at the nurse, "Escort the eggs to the hatchery and put them under heating lamps."

The nurse rolled her eyes, "I've been a nurse for nearly 400 years. I know what to do with eggs." She insisted before she began pushing the cart out.

"Don't!" Thorax ordered and the nurse sent a puzzled look at him, "Bring some equipment in here and put them under the lamps. I want to keep them close."

Pharynx rolled his eyes, "They're safer in the hatchery."

"You can move them there once I'm out of recovery," Thorax insisted, "For now I want them near me."

"They need the humid air of the Hatchery," Explained the nurse.

"Then make it more humid in here?" Thorax ordered, "A few mist spells would do the trick."

The nurse sighed, "As you command, your majesty."

Thorax gave one last longing look at his eggs, but had to agree with his brother. He was tired... he needed... rest...

###

It was only a few hours later that Thorax was woken with a start. He had heard something crash and looking around he screamed when he saw the source.

On the floor, in the fog, was a broken vial, and standing over it... was Chrysalis. She was caressing his eggs! They were all floating around her as she touched them.

"Get away from them!" Thorax screamed but he couldn't get up. The restraints on the bed had been fastened over him in his sleep. Even his horn had a magic suppressor on it. The way Chrysalis was standing over him with the eggs floating around her suggested she dropped the vial on purpose, to wake him.

Looking around frantically Thorax saw it was well into the night. He was alone.

"Can't a mother stop by to visit her grandchildren," Chrysalis smirked as she examined the eggs. "Despite appearances you actually do have good genes as a Queen," Chrysalis commented. "3 out of 7 eggs are warriors instead of common worker drones. Not bad for your first birthing." She smiled remembering her own first litter of eggs. Her very first brood. "You'll cherish the memories of these little ones for the rest of your life... and grieve like no other creature can comprehend when you outlive them."

"Don't hurt them," Thorax begged.

Chrysalis flew into a rage, striking the young King across the face before getting control of herself. She glared menacingly and spoke in a grave whisper, "Don't you dare think that of me. Whatever else I am. Whatever else I have done. I have NEVER been anything but an excellent mother. Everything I did was for you and your ungrateful siblings. I would never hurt an innocent egg!"

Thorax wasn't sure if he believed her.

Chrysalis sighed, "I came to offer you peace. You are just an ignorant grub and obviously don't realize what you are leading your hive to."

"There is nothing wrong with sharing love," Thorax glared.

"Besides the fact it is disgusting," Chrysalis grumbled. "Your feeding off your own siblings, you beastly grub!"

Thorax glared, "It's better then hunting for food, just to bring it back to YOU."

"That went to feed the entire hive," Chrysalis insisted.

"We were miserable before! Constantly hungry and in a constant state of fear, OF YOU,"

Chrysalis scuffed, "So I am, admittedly, a little strict. However most of your siblings appreciate a firm hoof."

"Firm hoof? You killed anyone who crossed you! Your own children!"

Chrysalis just scuffed, "I did not come here to be lectured by a grub. I came to offer you a chance. I am rallying the remaining hives. The other Queens will follow me. I will take this one back by force if I have to... but believe it or not, I don't want things to come to that. You are just misguided in your ignorance.

"I will allow you to maintain your indecent lifestyle, even keep this hive for yourself, it's a security issue now that the ponies know where it is. All I ask is you obey my rule and stop all these ridiculous plans you have for building relations with the other species."

Thorax glared, "I'll pass."

Chrysalis roared, "You don't understand what you are doing! Just what you are opening up your siblings and even your own children to! Don't you know anything of our history! The other races can't be trusted. All they are good for is food!"

Thorax glared, "That was a thousand years ago. Ponies have changed, just like you have. I remember our history. How you were once a just and benevolent Queen. I don't know if that's just propaganda or if the millenniums really did change you, but you clearly aren't like that anymore! I don't care if you offer us the moon itself I will NEVER go back to bowing before you! The Hive was never a home under you! We lived in fear and misery. You claim to be a good mother but did you even know my name until I left the hive! I won't doom my siblings back to that. And I won't leave the other hives to your mercy. I will save each and every hive FROM you,"

Chrysalis looked strangely... proud? "You have more ambition then I ever gave you credit, Grub,"

"It's not ambition!" Thorax glared back, "I never wanted any of this. You forced me to take the throne! All I wanted was to make the Hive an actual home! I tried reasoning with you, even pleading with you. Everything that happens from here is on YOU... I will save my family."

Chrysalis glared, "You can't begin to understand what you are doing. There hasn't been a Changeling civil war in ten thousand years. Would you doom all our hives to that?"

"All I wanted was for you to show compassion," Thorax glared. "You long since proved you're incapable of that."

Chrysalis shook her head, "Then there is nothing else to say," She gently put the eggs back under the lamp by Thorax bed, "I had hoped you would see reason but it seems your dead set on taking everything from me. Congratulations grub, if it's war you want, it's war you'll get. I won't go quietly," with that she teleported away.

###

● Triple Threat,

1 Moon after the Episode.

Thorax had tried everything to convince the other queens to join him... almost everything. His new friend Ember had some ideas.

Thorax stared out at the hundreds of Queens in the large chamber. They were all still corrupted by their hunger.

"Thank you for coming," Thorax smiled.

Unfortunately one of the queens called him out, "It's not like we had a choice! You sent your dragons to intimidate us!"

Thorax held his smile in place, although it was more nervous now. He muscled through it and remained strong, like Ember had taught him, "I just wanted to show you one of the benefits of befriending the other races. You all have been ignoring me for too long so here is what is going to happen. You are going to cut all ties with Chrysalis and join me,"

The hall shot out with waves of protest.

"That's Enough," Thorax glared before screaming, "Quiet!" tapping into his magic so that his voice all but roared across the hall, like Twilight showed him, stunning the audience into silence, "Fact of the matter is, Chrysalis wants a war so as long as you feed off the unwilling you are a threat to my hive... and threats I won't tolerate," All the Queens where shocked, this was the 'meek grub' Chrysalis told them about? "With the dragons supporting my army I hope you all realize the fight would not go in her favor.

"I ask, no demand, you join the winning side. I won't force you to share love but you WILL NOT shame those that choose to, as you will be largely reliant on them. You, nor your citizens, will feed on the unwilling or deceive others for love. You will not kill Changelings or any other sentient creature. You will remember that changelings are a family and give all those of your hives a voice in how it is run.

"In exchange for relenting to this you will be compensated with something more valuable then gold. I will give each of you a voice," Thorax promised, "You join me and obey these simple laws and I will let you determine the rest. I will listen to you and be willing to compromise in most things. I will form a council of Queens where we vote on all matters together. Where WE determine our own fates. I will guide the chamber as Chairman but I will only have one vote on all matters same as any other Queen. Join me and I won't rule through fear but compassion for all hives,"

Many of the Queens actually stood up and cheered where others looked worried.

One who remained seated whispered to the other beside her, "Can we really go against Chrysalis?"

The other snorted, "Not if you know what's good for you,"

"But look at this," The first gulped, "He's got 3 quarters of the room giving him a standing novation. Then there is the little problem he's got freaking Dragons on his side. Let's not forget the sun god and ponies, AND the god of chaos!"

"The sun spirit has grown weak so long from her rightful place in the sky," The other queen reminded, "She's already fallen to Chrysalis before, and true gods are forbidden from interfering in mortal wars. Discord can't actually do anything to help the traitors,"

"What about the dragons?" The first harshly whispered, "He's got all the dragons across the planet helping him!"

"Then we just need allies of our own,"

###

● To Change a Changeling,

The Day Afterwards.

Pharynx looked at his reflection in the mirror, at his new antlers instead of antennae. There were only a few other warriors in the hive, most of them had fled with Chrysalis. The few that stayed behind looked a lot like him. He had to admit, they looked a lot more powerful and were easier to tell apart from the drones.

Unreformed changeling warriors were just more colorful then drones. They were stronger and even had greater magic but they looked pretty much the same.

Reformed Changelings were another story. Pharynx could get some serious use out of this bigger, leaner, body and antlers. He even liked how his colors were darker as a warrior then a drone... but still, "The hive has grown far too complacent," he repeated something he had been saying for months.

"I know," Thorax sighed, sitting on Pharynx's bed of comfy mattress and blankets. Thorax had done a lot of trading with the ponies to get a bunch of luxuries up here. He had gone as far as to replace everylings sleeping boulder with a proper bed. He was making everything about the changelings soft.

"We need to- wait," Pharynx blinked, snapping his head at his brother in surprise, "Did you just agree with me!?"

Thorax chuckled, "I know. It must be the end of the world... but seriously," Growing more grave, "you're right. We're relying too much on support from the dragons. Their army was too busy to help us with one little Maulwurf and we barely beat it back! It's been nearly 70 moons since the dragons took over for our military duties and we have completely forgotten how to defend ourselves in the process! I agree, we have grown far too complacent. I need you to arrange drills for us and the other hives. Not just for the warriors either. The drones need to learn self defense to,"

Pharynx blinked before eying his brother, "What has you so worried all of a sudden. Not that I'm complaining, as you effectively just made me general of the army, but-"

"It's too quiet Pharynx!" Thorax yelled, "Chrysalis threatens to crush our hive and then disappears off the face of Equus! How is that possible!? She must be plotting something!"

"Chrysalis is probably the last thing I'm worried about," Pharynx admitted.

Thorax gaped at him, "How can YOU, of all lings, say that!?"

Pharynx shrugged, "It's been almost a year now and besides that one time she broke in, nothing. Nearly all the changelings sided with you. Tartarus, all who joined you even embraced your gross sharing love hippy nonsense. You even got me doing it! With Chrysalis' limited forces and our alliance with the ponies and dragons, the two most powerful races on the planet, she just isn't a threat to us. The most I'm worried about from her is spies sabotaging our progress, but she couldn't hope to win an actual assault. We are fine Thorax, I promise... but I'm still whipping the hives back into shape," Pharynx insisted, "You never know what would happen,"

###

Chrysalis grinned, forcing it to be pleasant instead of her usual devious smile, as she looked around the table. After nearly a year of talks her little group was finally ready to come together. They were finally on the edge, just a little push and they would swear loyalty to her cause. Yaks and most importantly Griffins were all sitting across from her.

Grampa Gruff, Elder and unofficially leader of the Griffin ruins, growled, "My species used to be feared and respected across the globe! We were the pinnacle of power once. Our treasury hoarding trillions in gold, but when we fell on hard times did the ponies come to our aid! NO they closed their boarders and forgot we existed for a thousand years! Now they suddenly come back into our lives and try to corrupt our youth because our way isn't good enough!"

"It's just not right," Chrysalis nodded with false sympathy.

Gruff eyed, "You say you can restore the Griffins to our former glory and put those ponies in their place. If you can make good on your word I'm all for it. The Griffins have a long history of slaying dragons. If we put our army to task they won't bother you none," he swore.

Prince Rutherford looked less convinced, "Ponies are ignorant and think they better then yaks... but some ponies get Yaks. Ponies Yaks friends,"

"I'm not asking you to go up against the ponies," Chrysalis assured, "You can help my army take on my wayward children,"

"But good changelings pony friends," Insisted the prince.

"They aren't 'good' Changelings anymore then I am 'evil'," Chrysalis scoffed, "Ponies betrayed my creatures. They will betray yours. All I am asking for is your help reclaiming my rightful throne. A throne your pony friends helped steal by insighting a coo. Does that sound like something honorable creatures would do?"

The prince frowned, "Yaks help Changeling Queen. Changeling Queen been good to Yaks. Respected Yaks. Appreciate Yak Culture but no try to steal it with fake not yak nonsense. Yaks help reclaim thrown but Yaks no fight ponies for Changelings,"

"And I wouldn't ask you to," Chrysalis smiled. If all went according to plan the ponies would turn the Yaks against them themselves.

Chrysalis knew she was being a bit of a hypocrite, allying herself with these creatures, but unlike her dimwitted spawn she wouldn't make the mistake of trusting them. They were tools. She would continue to manipulate them until they outlived their usefulness. Then consume what's left.