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…
Nushi opened her eyes.
… And opened them again.
… And again.
… And again.
… And again?
What? She thought in confusion… And thought again, and again, and again, and again, but for some reason each successive "What?" Sounded/felt/smelled/tasted different.
She blinked, dazed, as the glass chamber she'd entered moments (weeks) ago opened up… And opened, and opened, and opened, and opened, seen from five slightly different perspectives, which rapidly became dozens more as she suddenly saw the chambers open from various external angles, some high up, some to the side, others directly across from her what was going on-
Peace.
She calmed down instantly, the soothing Buzz filling her mind as she came back to herself.
Of course. She wasn't seeing her chamber open multiple times, she was seeing her chamber and those of her teammates' opening at the same time, through their eyes, and the eyes of the drones, and members of the Hive hovering about the throne room, and the eyes of Queen Apista and Philia.
As she came to this realization, so too did her friends – had they figured it out at the same time, on their own? Or did they know because she knew? And did it really matter? – And the confusion and panic from the four other minds faded.
"Are you all right?" Coccinella asked both out loud and in her mind… As did Formic, and Manti, and Caelifer, and Lepidoptera, and the Queen and Philia and every bug in the city, watching with interest and concern.
She could hear/feel/smell/taste their affection for her. She had never been cared about by this many people before. It was… Rather heady.
"I am," she said out loud, and in her mind, through five different voices and minds – where did she end and they begin? Oh, wait, there was the boundary, silly her – and she was pleasantly surprised to realize it was true. She was aware that she probably should feel more upset due to how radically her brain chemistry must've been altered for her to get to this state, that she should be overwhelmed and terrified and possibly insane, but she felt none of those things. How could she, when she felt the reassuring weight of Coccinella on her wrist, the minds of her friends – whom she now knew as well as she knew herself, if not more so – the boundless love of the Queen, and the sheer care and compassion of the entire Buzzing?
And all this was from limited access to the hive mind?! She'd only been like this for a few seconds (weeks?) And already knew that she could never, would never go back to the way she'd been before. She had been so sad. So alone. How had she not realized that? How had she not realized how empty and incomplete she was?
Her heart wept, as did her eyes, at the thought of how miserable everyone else on Earth, if not the entire galaxy, must be. If only she could show them what this was like! All would be one, and all conflict and hatred would be dispelled in a heartbeat!
"Careful with that line of thought," Goro told her, his voice/thoughts sounding/feeling/smelling/tasting like duty, honor, family, blood, sweat, righteous fury, and so much more. "That's the sort of thinking that dictators throughout history have used to try and justify their conquests."
"We are not conquerors or enslavers," Apista said gently, and oh! Nushi had thought her voice beautiful before! Her mind was almost washed away by a flood of warm honey tasting of love and kindness and-
(Shit, she just realized she really needed to call her mother.)
"Do I wish to see all life in the universe united by the Buzzing? For our peace and prosperity to be shared by all, for hatred and pain and war to be erased forever? Of course I do," Apista continued, with Nushi falling more and more in love with her with every syllable.
(Before, she'd have been mortified to realize that the Queen could hear/feel/smell/taste the depth of her emotions for her, but now it seemed like such a childish thing to be concerned about. Of course she knew how she felt. Everyone loved the Queen!)
(Wait, had she been brainwashed? She didn't think she'd been brainwashed, but then again, that was the sort of thing a brainwashed person would think – oh, wait, the Queen was still talking.)
"But we would never impose our will on others," Apista went on. "It must be their choice to join us. Anything else is unacceptable."
"Of course, it probably helps that after we give potential member races a 'trial run' of our technology we take everything with us and leave them completely alone if they tell us they don't want to join," Philia remarked, her voice/thoughts bubbling with sardonic amusement, and Nushi could already tell, by seeing into her soul, that when she fully matured she would be an even lovelier and greater Queen than her mother, just as Apista was lovelier and greater than mother, who had been lovelier and greater than hers, and so on and so forth, all the way back to the beginning of the Hive, the species evolving and changing for the better with each successive generation. "It's almost embarrassing how quickly some of those civilizations call us back and tell us they change their mind after that."
Nushi was aware of this custom, of course. When she first learned of it, back when she was still alone in her head and feverish to learn everything she could about this mysterious new species that had landed on her planet, she'd wondered if it wasn't a bit cruel and exploitive, a way to force civilizations to join the Hive by denying them valuable services and resources, but she changed her mind after reading further and learning how in the past, the Hive had left behind their technology as a sign of good faith, as well as carefully detailed instructions on how to use it properly.
It ended in disaster every single time, either from the species in question misunderstanding the instructions and accidentally setting off a civilization-ending catastrophe, or deliberately misusing the technology to wage war amongst themselves or on their interstellar neighbors, or worse besides. Hive technology was very powerful, very complicated, and very dangerous in the wrong hands. Given what she'd had to do to get her hands on the microprocessor for her invention in the first place, and how much difficulty she had in figuring out how it worked on her own, she fully understood why the Hive had implemented this policy.
Wait, why was Goro thinking of a streaming subscription – oh right, that altercation with Minister Hino. A flicker of anger passed through her mind, and the minds of her friends, at what that pathetic excuse for a man had tried to pull, and that anger grew greater as that knowledge passed through the Buzzing.
"It would be my honor to kill him, if that is your wish, my Queen," Mibojin offered Apista, her voice/thoughts hearing/feeling/smelling/tasting like honor, duty, family, steel, darkness, and blood and death. Quite a lot of the latter two, actually, but Nushi didn't mind it as much as she thought she would. This was just a part of who Mibojin was, and there was nothing wrong with that.
(She'd initially been alarmed to realize Mibojin was a prolific killer, hadn't she? Then again, Goro had gunned down dozens of people, Shin had slaughtered more monsters and foot soldiers than she could count, and while the Hive was a peaceful and utopian society, they were upfront about how much blood occasionally needed to be shed to keep it that way. Strange to think how a little change in perspective and seeing through the eyes of another could quite literally change your mind.)
(Huh, maybe she was brainwashed. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now. She'd chosen this, after all.)
"I appreciate the offer, but he is of no danger to us now," Apista told her, and while the ninja accepted this decision, she, and everyone else, couldn't help thinking that the corrupt minister didn't deserve her mercy. After all, if Hino's plans had succeeded, there was a good chance Apista herself would be dead, and with her, the Hive. "While I appreciate your loyalty and devotion, now that you are in my service, you are not to kill without my permission, understood? While the mantis clan and your predecessors have always acted to remove threats to the Hive, I don't believe one human, already behind bars, constitutes such a threat, especially with my sister's arrival on the horizon. We have greater concerns."
Mibojin nodded, already thinking about how the rest of her clan might not see it that way. After all, Hino was the sort of evil and powerful man they usually targeted, and they were hardly ones to allow something as measly an obstacle as imprisonment keep them from meting out justice…
"I see that you are already acclimating to your new neurochemistry," Apista continued, radiating satisfaction and joy that her five newest champions had so quickly adapted to their mental changes. "Come out, so we may see how your bodies have metamorphosed as well."
The Queen knew how their bodies were changed, of course. She was looking right at them, as were the thousands of other minds they were connected to, and of course Nushi and the others could easily see each other through each other's eyes, but up until now, they'd been so busy adjusting mentally they hadn't really taken the time to appreciate their physical changes.
Stepping out of the chambers at the same time (was that creepy? They were super-coordinated now, and their minds were linked, but it wasn't like they were all zombies or robots or something. Or was that the hypothetical brainwashing talking?) The five heroes looked each other over as the chambers receded back into the floor.
By and large, they liked what they saw.
Goro was a little taller, and had much more pronounced muscles, to the point that he could probably pass fairly easily for a professional bodybuilder. His clothes had been transformed into a lightweight blue suit reminiscent of his dress uniform only made from interlocking hexagons rather than any human fabric, with badges and rank insignias denoting his allegiance to both the JDSF and the Hive, something which clearly was a relief him, because they could all sense that a part of him had been worried that by joining the Hive, he'd be forced to renounce his ties to the military, and was grateful he didn't have to worry about clashing loyalties. (At least, not now.) He was also pleasantly delighted to note that while the numerous scars he accumulated throughout his tours of duty remained, the lingering pain from most of them or the other injuries he'd taken in battle had completely faded. He moved calmly and more smoothly than he ever had as a regular human, every motion belaying a sense of immense strength completely under his control. He felt stronger, fitter, and healthier than he had in years. In addition, a lock of his hair had turned blue, and his officer's cap had an emblem resembling an ant on it.
Shin whistled, his voice/thoughts hearing/feeling/smelling/tasting like pain, resilience, courage, sadness, hope. "I think your wife is going to be very happy."
Goro grinned in return, and for a moment all of them could drink of the deep well of love he felt towards his wife and children… And were touched to realize that well extended to them as well.. "I haven't gotten any complaints from her so far."
Mibojin had also grown slightly taller, and while she'd gained a little more muscle, she'd also gotten sleeker and more slender without looking skinny to the point of anorexic. Her figure was still just as appealing, if not more so, and Nushi blushed as her stupid lesbian hormones kicked in, and Mibojin glanced at her but merely acknowledged her without feeling any form of irritation, embarrassment, or, worst of all, amusement, which Nushi was grateful for. She was wearing an incredibly skintight ninja gi of the same material as Goro's which somehow felt more revealing than if she were completely naked, and was primarily black, with yellow trim and a pin resembling a golden mantis on her breast. Her hair had grown longer, in a tight braid down her back, and had a long streak of yellow spiraling through it. Every motion was graceful, elegant, and spoke of a predator biding its time to spring on its prey.
In addition, her nails were sharper and looked serrated, and… Did she have fangs?
"Gosh, you're gorgeous!" Ariel exclaimed, her voice/thoughts hearing/feeling/smelling/tasting like magic, joy, family, wonder, stardust, light, purity, eternity. "I can't believe you don't take any pride in it!"
(She sounded/felt/smelled/tasted good.)
(Like, really good.)
(As in, almost as good as the Queen good!)
(Holy shit, did that make her a furry now? She'd always thought of herself as… Darn it, what was the Internet shorthand for insectophile? Oh well, it would come back to her later.)
Indeed, Mibojin didn't seem to regard her new looks with anything other than dispassionate assessment. "I've always viewed my beauty as another weapon in my arsenal," she said impassively. "Just another tool. Nothing more."
Goro chuckled. "Well, I can definitely say that if your daughter inherits those genes, it'll be a good tool for her as well."
"Indeed," Mibojin agreed, and now Nushi could sense pride, not in herself, but in her daughter, whom she had every confidence would be a great ninja one day.
Physically, Shin looked… More or less exactly the same. However, closer examination revealed small, minute changes in his armored form that allowed for greater flexibility and freedom of motion. His features were more or less the same, but had been softened somehow, making him look less like a hideous monster and more like a man who just happened to also be a grasshopper, much like how the rest of the Hive didn't look ugly no matter how inhuman many of them were in appearance. There was a gleam of contentment in his eyes and ease of motion in his form which hadn't quite been there before, and while the deep, psychological trauma which had dominated most of his life was still there, it felt lessened, somehow. Not diminished, per se, but easier to bear.
Also, more of his body was green now, and a healthier shade, and he had a long, flowing emerald scarf made of the alien interlinking hexagonal material hanging down his back, grasshopper patterns running down its length.
"Guess I really am a Showa Rider now," he joked, and all their hearts lightened upon seeing how…. Comfortable he seemed to be in his own skin.
Ariel had chosen to remain in her Heavenly Saint true form rather than put back on her human disguise. She'd gotten a little taller and more mature in appearance, and her form had gotten more voluptuous. The small wings on her body had gotten slightly larger, and she had grown two more tails for a total of five. She now wore open-fingered gloves and open-toed boots made of gleaming white interwoven hexagons, and her hat had been replaced by one of the same material, with a butterfly pin attached to its side. Her breastplate had been replaced by a white bustier of the same material as the rest of her clothes, with jewels in a hexagonal pattern on her stomach framing a stylized butterfly. Some of her red markings had become more pronounced and changed color, and her hair had gotten longer, with a butterfly barrette and a white stripe zigzagging through it.
She gasped in delight, stroking her new tails. "I have five tails now! I didn't think I'd have this many for another few centuries! My magic feels even stronger now!"
Indeed, she was glowing slightly, some of her hair and fur drifting upward, the stardust in them dazzling in her glow and the golden light of the throne room.
That's not the only thing that's improved, Nushi thought herself, remembering a second too late that everyone could hear it. Crap.
Ariel actually looked a bit flustered that and replied, "You're one to talk, Nushi."
Looking at herself through everyone's eyes, Nushi realized this was true. Her body was still as fit and athletic as ever, but she'd gotten a little taller, her muscle mass had increased – but not in a way that would hinder her natural agility or grace – and… Wait…
A quick squeeze confirmed it. Yes, she'd grown a size or two.
She was wearing very tight and extremely comfortable black pants made of the same material as everyone else's clothes, with red lines going down the sides with black dots speckled throughout. Her feet were clad in surprisingly fashionable red and black combat boots. She wore a black top with red spots which exposed her midriff, and a badass red and black jacket with an emblem resembling a ladybug on the back. Her hair had gotten longer, but still fit into her pigtails, with one of her locks permanently dyed red, and her freckles had darkened to look a little more like spots.
She looked…
Damn. She looked like the sorts of girls she fantasized over. She couldn't remember ever looking that confident or self-assured before. She practically radiated authority.
And, if what she sensed from Ariel – and quite a few members of the Hive – were anything to go by, she checked off a lot of boxes on many people's lists.
Flushing almost as red as her ensemble, she told Ariel, "You know, I'm usually more into girls of a… insectile persuasion."
"I know," the fox said cheerily, tails wagging as if her own emotions and thoughts weren't as clear as day to the scholar.
Nushi licked her lips. "That said, though… Given how I just spent the last few weeks getting to know you inside and out, and I kind of like what I saw… I don't suppose…"
"That I'd like the opportunity to get to know you even better, too?" Ariel asked giddily, her tails wagging even faster now.
Nushi reddened. "Well… Basically, yeah."
Ariel was vibrating, and Nushi could sense she was desperately holding herself back from pouncing on her.
(She was kind of disappointed she didn't.)
(Guess that answered that question.)
"I know a good place for a first date," Philia spoke up helpfully, the spot in question appearing in their minds.
As did several dozen other suggestions from the rest of the Hive. Wow, a lot of people were really interested in her love life. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
(Flattered. Yeah, that's what it was. Flattered.)
(Dammit, she was brainwashed! She'd never have been cool with so many people taking an interest before! Oh well, what's done was done.)
Goro chuckled and rolled his eyes indulgently, sending massive Dad vibes through their connection. "Well, that's one way of fostering team-bonding."
"GORO!" They both shouted, embarrassed and amused.
Apista laughed. "Oh, you have no idea – well, I suppose you do, actually – how much I've missed this. The camaraderie between good friends and teammates. I can already tell you will do your predecessors proud."
That sobered the mood immediately. Many of the Queen's memories of the team who came before them flashed to their mind. Memories of the battles they'd fought, the good times they'd shared, the trust and teamwork they had fostered as they helped protect the Hive together as more than just Queen and vassals, but as true friends. As family.
Memories of how they died.
"You really think we can live up to them?" Ariel wondered softly.
"No," Lepidoptera told her, pride and certainty flowing through the Buzzing. "You will surpass them."
"I can already sense your potential," Coccinella told Nushi, and the human felt her sincerity on a bone-deep level. "You're going to be one of the best ladybugs I've ever had."
"I shall train you to be the greatest killer in the galaxy," Manti promised Mibojin.
"I shall help you reach new heights," Caelifer vowed to Shin.
"And I will ensure you're strong enough to protect everyone you care about," Formic swore to Goro.
"And when Anthoph returns to us," Coccinella added. "We shall be unstoppable."
At that, everyone regarded the comatose Divine Insect in the honey pond solemnly.
When Nushi concentrated, she could see/hear/feel/smell/taste the melody every member of the Hive gave off, and how it mingled with the melodies given off by every other member of the Hive to create the harmonious whole that was the Buzzing. For just about everyone in the room, it was loud, vibrant, and full of life, the melody of the Queen strongest of all.
Barely a whisper could be seen/heard/felt/smelled/tasted from Anthoph. She was almost indistinguishable from a corpse, or of a sentient being not of the Hive.
"She will return to us," Apista insisted firmly, radiating with confidence and certainty so great the tinge of doubt was almost unnoticeable. "It will just… Take some time, is all."
"Assuming we have that much time…" Philia murmured unhappily, souring the mood further.
"We will make time," Apista declared. "And speaking of time, it appears we have some more of it before my sister arrives, so we can begin training you-"
She was cut off when, without warning, an awful, discordant howl of anguish reverberated through the Buzzing, thousands of voices screaming in terror and alarm. The five heroes reflexively tried to cover their ears, but it was to no avail, for the screams continued to echo inside their minds.
Apista paled, eyes widening in horror. Beside her, Philia started trembling. "It would seem," the Queen said gravely, her perfect poise failing to hide a pulse of bone-deep fear. "That I have misspoken."
The Swarm had arrived.