It made Sally angry. She looked down at her missing arm, surprising herself with a snarl. Walking without it had her off balance, she felt her stride a little wrong on that side and found herself walking a little oddly because of it. But she had a purpose and just because the hall seemed to keep rocking she wasn't going to stop. She did hope the rocking was because she had just woken up.

She closed her eye a moment as she reached the entry to the throne room. There was a trembling, in her she couldn't stop. "What if she doesn't want me now…" The thought went unfinished because it didn't need to be finished to shake her world. She flailed at the terror in her mind and threw anger at it.

Fighting back the fear with her anger, she stormed into the room, Sharp Mind glaring at her at first, not recognizing the source of the interruption. She had two leaders in front of her, ones Sally didn't recognize.

The place was silent except for Sally's hooves on the floor of the room. She raged and strode up to the throne, her one eye fixed on her queen's two. She didn't stop at the base of it. As she neared Sharp, something cracked and the anger drained. When she had watched her mate fighting the queen, she feared for her. She fell forward the last half a foot and wrapped her good arm around Sharp's neck, nuzzling into her mane. "I don't want to lose you…"

Both already forgot about the changelings present, Sharp wrapping both front legs around her mate. "Me either." A weight lifted from Sharp, her mind clearing a touch.

"What is this I hear about you scorching the earth from here to that bitch's hive?" Sally didn't pull back from the tight hug, talking into Sharp's mane. Sharp opened her eyes, seeing the two leaders were not moving. She suddenly didn't care, everypony knew how she had been acting.

"Easy is still out there, she is so very efficient." Sharp nibbled at Sally's neck, just rubbing her incisors against the flesh there. "Their hive has food, but their dead queen was badly managing it."

Sally gasped a little, every time the fangs rubbed, wondering if this was the moment when Sharp would sink them in. The satyr wasn't sure why it felt like such a good idea, why it turned her on, but it did. "Okay, so what are you doing about it? Gather their drones, we will expand this hive and stretch out, grow and dominate."

Gasping, Sharp pulled back. "Sally?" The shock sent a thrill down the queen's spine, it was a new thrill. Everything she had done so far had been done before, her hive was already great, she purged the weak into their own hive and kept growing. But this idea…

Sally saw the look in her mare's eyes, knowing her own were wild with sudden desire and an urge to fight whatever 'rules' might be in place to stop her growing the hive stronger.

"Sally, that wouldn't… how could…" Sharp was trying to think but the hybrid leaned in and kissed her on the lips, upsetting her train of thought and causing her wings to buzz.

"We will need more drones. More foals. More eggs." Sally had broken the kiss, talking low. "Who are these?" She gestured to the pair of stunned changelings.

"Two leaders from the lost hive. They swore themselves to our hive." Sharp stopped the moment she said the words. Her eyes were as wide as the two leaders' were.

"Then we must grow our hive." Sally liked the feel of the word, the way it sounded. "Come my queen, lets plan."

"You meant those words right, our hive?" The two leaders had been chased out and Sally was leaning against the right hand side of Sharp's throne, her arm reaching around Sharp's withers.

"I didn't… but I think I do now. With mother, you helped build this hive and I see now what would happen if I lost you, the hive would stumble and fail. For better or worse, you are as much a part of being queen of this place as I am." Sharp leaned sideways. "How is your arm?"

Sally closed her eyes. The moment had been heartfelt, but her question was a harsh one. "I think I can still feel it, but I know that is wrong. I sent so many soldiers home with arms or legs missing, I never even thought life would leave me a cripple in the same way."

Sharp snorted at her, shaking her head. "Sometimes, Sally, you think entirely like a changeling, other times, half alien and half changeling. Right now you are not thinking with your horn at all."

"What do you… oh, well…"

"You lost an arm, guess what, most drones never even had one to start with. Your mouth works, your horn will glow bright, you may be a bit harder to see eye to eye with, but I bet there are more bits working than not."

Sally laughed at the joke, she knew it was a trap to get her to laugh but it worked too well for her to fight it. "Okay, you got me. I will work on getting better with this thing." Sally reached up with her arm and rubbed the side of her horn, tracing the big hole in it that she had developed.

"I think we need to make vows, like the ponies do." Sharp Mind leaned a little away from Sally.

The former human was stunned. She already considered Sharp and Sweet her mates but… but this was going further. This was the big one, what her mother had always hoped she might do. Tears came and as Sally closed her one good eye, she realized the tear-ducts on the ruined one still worked.

"What is wrong?" Sharp was immediately worried, her voice betraying every fear she held for the satyr.

"Not just us, get Sweet here… Easy too." Sally couldn't stop the crying, but she could talk past the tears of joy.

"Easy?" Sharp looked surprised but Sally nodded. The queen tilted her head to the side and pondered it, but nodded in the end. "Tomorrow, in here. The four of us and two leaders to confirm it."

Sally smiled and leaned in for a kiss, her tears still flowing. "Tomorrow…"

"What the… what do you mean?" Sweet looked between the obviously united forces of Sally and Sharp.

"We mean," Sharp looked from Sweet to Easy, "that it has come time to cement our control over this hive, and our bonds to each other."

"But I am not-" Easy tried to counter the logic, her voice going against her queen much easier now than ever before.

Sally had the answer, leaning down and giving the former drone a little rub behind the ears. "You are wrong, Easy. You are a great force among us. Our little group once consisted of two drones, a queen and a breeder. It is not that anymore. I see two leaders in front of me. Two changelings who have risen far beyond what a drone could. Easy, you lead the army, Sweet, I have seen you training and integrating new members to the hive. You both do your part."

"This isn't my hive." Sharp sighed and reached out with her magic and front legs, giving all three of her mate's a hug. "This is our hive, and it will grow."

"But… you are queen, you can't… what are we then? Leaders can't be part of the hive's core!" Easy stomped a hoof, showing no fear now that the decision was made.

"Then be my…" Sharp looked surprised. "I… my…" She looked to Sally quickly.

"Advisers? Uh, generals? Oh maybe something more royal… princess?"

Sharp shook her head. "Ponies have princesses."

"So we can't? What do their princesses do?" Sally seemed to like the word.

"They lead…" Easy tilted her head, tasting the word. "Princess… It does have a nice feel to it."

"Princess Sweet Bite. Yes, I like it!" Sweet's eyes were aglow, it always kindled a reassuring burst within the group. She looked to Sharp to see if the queen would fight it.

Sally nodded to this. "Princess does sound good, regal, commanding, but with none of the demands of queen."

"I really don't have a say?" Sharp was more amused that all three could stand against her in this. It felt… good.

"No." Sally looked proud of herself. "So then, with that decided, we have promises, vows, to work out." A little part inside her quaked, there was a whole lot more to a traditional wedding than that, but she hadn't come all the way back to her hive just to want to have more silly human traditions.

All four of them broke apart, walking to their own little places in the hive where they could think best.

Sally was on the track, running. She could do it with her eyes… eye, closed, and she did. It wasn't actually dangerous, not only would any member of the hive get out of her way, but when she focused she could hear the slight sound of wing on chitin that the changelings around her made when walking. It was both relaxing and rewarding, planning out the words she would say, to dedicate herself to the mares she loved.

Easy Shift was laying down on her back, her soft fur protecting her back from the rocks of the hive floor. She always thought a little clearer, a little more focused, when she was a cat. Waving her front paws in the air a little, she thought of what Sally meant to her, first. The best friend she could ever have, the shock when they had started sharing a bed together, if only to sleep, was a big one. It had faded though, she had even found herself snuggled up with the satyr on more than one occasion. If there was a single stallion in the hive she would lay with, it would be Sally. Her queen was easy, she was the absolute center of the world for any hivemate. Sweet was complicated. Sweet Bite had trapped her in a snare she now wished would only ever draw tighter.

Sweet Bite was lounging among the pony mares of the hive. They hadn't retreated back to the surface yet, but that was fine by her. "And tomorrow we are going to say vows!" The news had shocked the mares, but Sweet had found it was not a bad kind of shock. They fussed all over her and seemed very excited. She thought of how life had been before Sharp Mind had come to catch and kill her. She had misused her powers and the mare, though taking a hit from them, had disabled her. Sally was no less of a big deal. The satyr had been the reason she had found Sharp's love in return, the reason she had found Easy and more, the light that constantly shone.

Sharp Mind sat on her throne. She was sure there was something mystical about it, the way she could focus her plans and ideas while perched where her mother had been, and her mother before her. It was a struggle to think the name, even now, but Fangs had been a good parent. She had grown and spread her wings and her power under the former queen. Then she had met Sweet. She had thought the love she carried an infection, but Sally had proven that it was more. Sharp smiled like a giddy drone getting their first meal. Then both of them seemed to draw Easy Slip into her life. It was uncomfortable at first, Easy was really just a drone, with no power to fully refuse her. Sharp had worked hard to make sure the drone never had to. They had all grown, with each other. The world felt like a smaller, easier to manage place with the three of them in it with her.

All four, after their musings, found a piece of slate to write down their words, to practice them.

Gentle Care and Long Draught stood, their forms bright with absorbed energy. They looked very serious and the four almost balked at the sight. Each had memorized their words and each came, one at a time, into the throne room.

"Should there be words? This feels like the kind of ceremony where words should be spoken." Easy was the first to speak, the room feeling somehow huge with the weight of occasion.

Gentle nodded. "I spoke with the ponies, they had said there were usually words at such a thing, but none could actually remember them."

Long bowed to his mate and turned. "Then allow me to make some new customs up." He stepped smartly over to the throne, lifting a hoof to touch the side of the ornate, oversized chair. "We are gathered before the throne of our hive, to honor the mothers that have been before and to charge them with the duty of overseeing this ritual from the beyond." He looked up to Sharp first. "Advance, queen of the hive, say what you will to those who are gathered."

Sharp nodded and stepped up, her long strides bringing her to just before the throne she normally sat on. Turning, she looked between her lovers. "Sweet, you brought the first taste of love to me. I was unsure on what to do with it, I squandered your gift for so long. When I found the truth, I thought myself the luckiest changeling to have lived. I promise to always hold your love and your words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same." The queen was already tearing up, the liquid leaking from her eyes a testament to the emotions behind her words. "Sally. My warrior from another world. You fought for your right to live, not just in this hive but in my heart. I wish to one day share half the spirit I see burning within you when you have even the barest hint of a need to fight. I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same."

There were more tears, Sharp ignored them, letting them run freely with pride.

"Easy. You came to me reluctantly. I could feel fear in you, every time you saw me in a less than stately manner. I hope I have found a way to let you put that fear aside. Easy, our love isn't that of passion, but it is love, strong and sure. I promise to always hold your love and your words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same." She breathed deeply after the words, her eyes closed as she walked back to the ranks.

"Working through rank," Long intoned gravely, "I believe Sally, a breeder, is next."

Sally stepped up, her legs clopping on the floor sounding so much louder than they should. "Well, I had to just re-juggle my vows, Sharp's words sounded so perfect." She took a deep breath and turned to Easy. "Easy Shift, the first time we met I thought I was taking one of my mates to bed, I am not sure which of us was more embarrassed." She gazed at the mare in question, tears already starting in her own eyes. "You are the friend I needed, the companion in combat I required and now you are one of the stars in my life. I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same." Sally couldn't see well enough now to tell if Easy was smiling or not. She continued anyway. "Sweet Bite, the mare who taught me that love, even forced, could still be true. You were the first changeling to break the last barrier I had in place between my heart and this world, without you I would still be a prisoner within myself. I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same."

Sally reached out, her arm finding the arm of the throne and using it for support as she struggled with her emotions. With her tears falling freely, she managed to lift her head. "Sharp Mind, daughter of Fangs. The first changeling to treat me as another changeling, the mare that is the literal center of my world. You claim I showed you how to love but the truth is we discovered it together. I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same." Sally almost fell, Gentle trotting over and offering a back to lean on and to guide her back to her family.

Sweet Bite marched forward on her own, leaving Sally and Sharp pressed close, both still with tears rolling down their cheeks. Sweet's own cheeks were not bare. "Sally. I thought you another meal, another thing that would love me long enough for me to use and throw away. But when you loved me I felt an answer. I couldn't fight it, I couldn't even try I… those words are very good… I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same."

She looked up to Sharp. "My queen, my love, my friend and savior. You could have killed me, you should have, had mother not sent you I know I would have been ended. As you claim my love snared you so did yours snare me. My mate. I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same." She turned her gaze, tear-strained, toward Easy. "Little mare, you brought a new way to love into me. You make me want to experience so much more life if only so I can do it at your side. I love you Easy Shift. I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same."

Sweet trotted down, pressing in on Sally's other flank and pressing the satyr between her and Sharp.
Easy stepped up, looking down a moment before she shook herself. As the three watched the little mare, formerly a drone, flickered her form not only between Sweet and Sharp, but also to Sally's and then back. "I could be anypony I wanted, I could be more, anything." She flicked to the cat form she loved so much. "But Sweet, Sally, Sharp. You three all make me want to be me."

"Sweet, you trapped my heart, I thought you locked it away in a gilded cage, but you only held it so that you could let it soar with your own. I like those words too, they fit well. I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same." Easy was certainly not immune to emotions, but she struggled not to cry. "Sharp, my queen. I was not scared of you, never that. I was scared, every moment of every day of my life, of disappointing you. I have fought every drone-feeling part of my being to be the mare you wanted me to be and, I cannot say I dislike who I am. I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same."

"Sally. You are my sister, my comrade, the burning flame that I can't help but circle. I would hunt and trap the sun, the moon, if I thought you would like them. Sally, I might not be the mare you make large with eggs, but I promise, to all of you, that your foals are my foals. Sally, I promise to always hold your love and words in the highest regard and beg that you find mine always the same."

She couldn't stop herself running down to her mates, the emotion so strong that the four didn't realize what was happening until Gentle nudged them, one by one, with her magic.

"… start by saying that Queen Sharp Mind, you are without a doubt everything mother wished of you, you are the queen that holds this hive strong and grows it stronger still. Sally, you embody everything fierce about the changelings, you are akin to the fire that burns us when we change, the passion that wraps us when we feed. Sweet, the wonder of your gift, it was thought to be the most terrible of weapons, but there is proof here it can bind hearts as well as bodies. Easy, if there were a mind that could be said to be more devious than our queen's, it is yours. You take forms that most changelings would fear to, you braved the outside world as a drone, I fear what you could accomplish as a leader." Long looked between them. "But there is more, even as we have a queen, you three will support her closer than any has before. I name you Princess Easy Shift, Princess Sweet Bite and Princess Sally Gailor. With Queen Sharp Mind as your partner, this is your hive, this is your life. Now share it."

Author's Notes:

Wow, that happened. I was sitting, wondering what I was to do with this chapter. Then Sally and Sharp decided. Is this the end? Of the story, likely. Of Sally's life, or the life of her hive, no chance.

I needed this, slightly darker look into changelings, it helped remind me of how bad they could really be and how soft Chrysalis is. Thank you for reading it.