A small squadron of changelings made their way across the rolling hills lining the empire's outskirts. While the other portion of their party had remained behind to tour the crystal castle, these bug ponies forwent that opportunity in favor of a more scenic approach - roaming the empire's lavish landscapes. Not only did it provide escape from the bustle surrounding their king's political excursion, it also offered a moment of relaxation in this sunshine oasis amidst the frozen tundra.

Tranquil as it was however, not even the Crystal Empire was immune to changeling drama. One drone in-particular willingly sacrificed relaxation for the opportunity to vent his thoughts to the open air.

"He's so unorthodox!", Cornicle spat, his snout brushing the grass as he trudged along. "I mean, just what in the name of the Hive was that, anyway?"

"'Tickling'," a lemon-hued changeling replied with matter-of-fact, hovering above the grass as to run her hoof through the blades. "It's the rapid stimulation of nerve endings to elicit laughter, often used by ponies as a means of affection and play. Did you not hear what Thorax said? It can be used as an alternative way to share love-"

"-I know what he said, Apidae," Cornicle interrupted with a snarl. "And I was being rhetorical; I know what tickling is. I've been an infiltration scout, before."

Apidae blinked. "What does infiltration have to do with tickling?"

Cornicle turned his head, giving the lemony bug a hardened glare. "Sometimes ponies greet their friends in really peculiar ways."

Apidae stifled a laugh. Stone cold Cornicle stuck in a disguise while subjected to tickling was too perfect an image.

"Anyway, it sure didn't feel like I received energy from it," he went on with a skeptical raise of his brow. "In fact, all I got was a rush of adrenaline and loss of breath. Not exactly an effective way to eat - it felt more like torture, to me."

Apidae giggled at the thought, fluttering herself upside-down. "I doubt Thorax is even capable of torturing a changeling, Cornicle."

"Well that would depend on your definition of 'torture'," the cyan bug pony pointed out. "I know I'll be skipping it for breakfast the next time it's offered. You guys shouldn't have let on that you were clueless about what tickling was, because I'm the one who got stuck demonstrating."

Along his sides the merciless smirks of Cornicle's peers haunted him, their sudden high-pitched chortles ringing in his pointy ears.

"It sounds to me like someling is just sore because 'Papa Thorax' stripped him of his dignity in front of Equestrian royalty," an orange drone teased in a sing-song voice, immediately setting the others into a dull roar of hysterics.

"Buzz off, Coxa!", Cornicle hissed. "If I wanted to hear your voice I'd turn into a pile of slime and belch."

For a time the changeling's chittering persisted, fanning the flame of Cornicle's frustration all the further. However, shrouded in the meadow's silence as they were, the rowdy bunch of bug ponies soon quieted down again. Cornicle continued to fill his fellow changeling's taste buds with his sour disposition, glancing around the pastures with minimal interest.

"I'm just so put off by him, now," the blue drone admitted, donning a small frown. "What happened to the timid changeling who'd shapeshift into rocks whenever the entire hive broke out into games of bug pile? The changeling you could barely hear whenever he delivered his scouting reports? He's so affable and sprightly, now. It's bizarre."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing!", Apidae replied with a jovial laugh. "I for one welcome our new cuddlebug overlord with open hooves. I'll take hugs and understanding over scraping by for food under a cold, tactical regime any day."

"Let us not forget that his majesty was remarkably efficient with at least one role in the hive," a deep green drone brought up from the group's rear, pausing just long enough to draw in everyling's curious gaze. "He always enjoyed tending to the brood. Ironically enough, during his shifts in the nursery hive he proved to be even more attentive and doting towards the hive's larva and nymphs than the queen, herself was."

"Aphidel is right, Cornicle," Apidae agreed, tilting her upside-down head to capture the waspish drone's eye. "Thorax was always an attentive caretaker, only now he's the entire hive's caretaker. He hasn't really changed, he's just getting a chance to exercise what he was already good at. Also, you've never attended a cluster nap with him before, have you?"

Cornicle rolled his bright amber eyes. "No, I haven't, because I don't do cuddlebug stuff. It's demeaning," he said callously.

"One thing I can actually agree with you on," Coxa put in with a chuckle.

"Well, I've noticed that it's usually during cluster naps when Thorax does his playful behaviors," Apidae continued. "Just the other day I saw him playing with Apex and two adolescent changelings while the cluster slept. I think you're just late to the 'Thorax does strange things' party, Cornicle, because you're hardly ever around him."

The cyan changeling grumbled under his breath, sending a pebble flying with a smack of his hoof.

"Yeah, whatever. Doesn't change the fact that he's unorthodox."

"I can definitely see why you may seem unorthodox compared to Chrysalis, Thorax," Cadance said with a giggle, watching as Flurry Heart left her protective embrace to trot over to the tall changeling. Once there she approached Apex - still contently pressed between Thorax's front hooves - and proceeded to get in his face and babble.

"I'm just far too different from her to make every changeling feel comfortable, at least not for quite some time," Thorax admitted solemnly, his magenta eyes half-closed, watching Apex defiantly shake his head at the invasive young alicorn. "But I take a lot of solace in the fact that, even if some of the changelings think of me as too soft, they're still more free now than they've ever been."

The crystal tower had fallen into a state of calm over the past few minutes. Twilight's excitement regarding changeling love magic had driven her to retreat into a silent study session, once again nesting herself in a pile of books. Meanwhile, Spike took it upon himself to guide the group of changelings seeking a tour of the castle, even though he, himself wasn't exactly sure what every room contained. Naturally, having had this forethought, Sunburst had frantically taken off after them to assist.

The vast overlook was now populated only by the royal family and the visiting changeling king, accompanied by his young nymph.

"If I may, Thorax, that's a wonderful mindset to have," the pink princess complimented, seeking the alpha changeling's gaze. "You're doing what Chrysalis wouldn't, by putting the well-being of your subjects first. Even as a ruler you can't make everyone happy all of the time, but having the resolve to do whatever it takes to protect and serve your subjects the best way that you can? That's what it means to lead."

"I gotta say​ though, from what I've seen so far it seems like a good majority of the changelings are on board for your style of ruling," Shining Armor added, wearing an optimistic smile. "Well, I mean there are only eight of them here in the empire today, but from how Twiley's been making it sound, it appears things are going remarkably well."

The stallion sent a fond look Twilight's way, but not even the sound of her affectionate nickname stirred the purple alicorn from her furious scribbling.

"Well, I'd say it's somewhere between a sixty to forty ratio, right now," Thorax replied, mirroring the prince's smile best he could. "There are still a lot of changelings who are skeptical of just how well I'll be able to lead, and I can't really blame them. If nothing else, Chrysalis was a very confident leader. While most of the changelings were genuinely willing to give me a chance, and to give sharing love a chance, many others made a leap of faith on the fact that they didn't want to continue starving, or to be under Chrysalis's hoof anymore. A lot of changelings still think I'm a pushover."

Apex began to kick his back hooves, seeking to further press himself into Thorax's chest. But Flurry could not be deterred. The young alicorn doggedly fluttered about, trying to gain the nymph's attention with various hoof waves and prods. Apex desperately glanced upwards to try and gain Thorax's attention, but it was Shining Armor who took notice, first.

"Flurry, come on now, if he doesn't want to play, you can't make him," he said with a stern tone. He levitated the excitable baby pony back towards where he and Cadance sat, taking hold of her in his hooves. The alicorn's lip immediately started to quiver as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oohoo, you know she won't understand that, hon," Cadance said in a sweet voice, using her magic to levitate Flurry's stuffed snail out from her carrying basket. Both Cadance and Shining Armor shared a chuckle as the alicorn's mood rebounded within seconds. Flurry grabbed a hold of her stuffed toy and let loose a series of giggles, now content to stay in her father's hooves.

Having watched the event unfold, Thorax now bowed his head to meet the gaze of the tiny nymph amidst his hooves. Apex avoided his discerning eyes by pretending to try and get comfortable.

"Apex, don't you want to play with Flurry Heart?"

"No, I'm trying to take a nap," Apex lied, wrapping his hooves around Thorax's leg and squishing his face into it.

Thorax's chest ignited. The little bug pony would certainly be the death of him.

"Oh, I see how it is," Thorax replied with snark. "When I wanted to spend time with you on the train after you misbehaved, I had to threaten sending you home. But as soon as you get beckoned to play by Flurry Heart, Papa Thorax is suddenly an irresistibly comfy bed."

Apex furrowed his brow and tilted his head to meet Thorax's crafty smile. "Well, I'm a growing changeling and I need lots of sleep," he fabricated. "And since you're the papa changeling that means you're the one who gets to be the bed."

Thorax lightly chuckled as Apex settled against his chest, but he wasn't through just yet. The nymph may not want to play, but that didn't mean Thorax couldn't improvise a little.

Thorax subtly squeezed his front hooves together, just enough to get a lazy grunt in reply from the tiny drone. He did it again with a little more force, and received a slightly louder grunt. Donning a mischievous grin, Thorax continued to squeeze, becoming caught up in the cycle like a nymph with a squeak toy.

"Cut it out, Papa Thorax!", Apex finally grumbled, shooting the tall changeling a provoked glare. "Good papa changelings aren't supposed to tease nymphs, they're supposed to let them sleep!"

Having been caught red-hoofed, Thorax pursed his lips. His magenta eyes cast to Flurry Heart, who was now in the midst of giggling incessantly at the two changelings. Thorax met her eye and gave a sly wink. Mission accomplished.

"Someone just got told," Shining Armor said with a cheeky smile.

"I sure did. You heard it here first, Twilight," Thorax stated, turning his attention towards the purple alicorn sitting a few feet away. "Changeling leaders are, first and foremost stationary bed sets for nymphs. Even I'm learning things every day!"

While Thorax, Cadance and Shining Armor filled the chamber with three sets of laughter, Twilight's shell of concentration shattered at last to Thorax's sarcastic quip. She giggled to herself, taking a moment to jot a note on the lower left portion of her page before continuing her train of thought.

The landscape continued on for what seemed like forever, dwarfing the network of crystal structures now far off in the distance. Blades of grass danced through the air while the fields swayed gently to and fro in the soft breeze. Amidst the green slopes was the modest group of changelings, no longer sauntering around, but resting contently at the foot of a hill, sprawled out on their backs and sides. Even Cornicle had relaxed, his belly exposed to the baby blue sky as he traced cloud shapes with his eyes.

"Apidae, why do you enjoy it so much?", the cyan bug pony asked towards the sky.

"You'll have to be more specific," came a mumble somewhere to Cornicle's left.

"Why do you enjoy being close? With Thorax, with other changelings?", Cornicle elaborated, lazily turning his head to catch her eye. "Of all of us here, you're the biggest cuddlebug by far. I'm just curious what you see in it."

The air went silent, and Apidae closed her eyes. She felt the soft grass cushioning her head, and the gentle tickling of the blades against her body. She felt the warm sun shining down against her carapace, and the cool breeze that provided relief from that sun. She felt her muscles relax from a blend of all these things, and her breathing slowed.

She smiled, the world around her cradling every fiber of her being. She could fall asleep in this embrace, the same way she could in any cluster nap pile.

"Safety, assurance, devotion," Apidae listed, her voice calm and quiet. "It's comforting, warm, and has meaning. It's hard to explain."

The ladybug drone paused. She took a deep breath to gather her thoughts, observing the empire's borders with a thoughtful stare.

"We hunted love like predators hunt prey for so long," she said at last, her eyes growing sullen. "We were detached from it, because it was just sustenance for us. But no matter how much of it we obtained we were never satisfied. For a long time I wondered why that was, why we were doomed to an existence of always wanting more."

Her fellow bug ponies turned to silently observe her, caught off guard by the boldness of the conversation's dive. Most of all Cornicle looked on with heightened interest, turning himself over onto his stomach to better watch and listen.

"When Thorax emerged from his cocoon, I finally realized why we were never satisfied. It was because all along we were never really feeding ourselves, we were feeding greed." Apidae's eyes flickered with resentment. "Greed that our queen infected our species with. Greed that made us monsters who preyed on other creatures. I was so angry - at Chrysalis and us - but then my anger just became a sense of emptiness. We'd spent so long chasing something that never had to be chased. It'd be hilarious if it wasn't so pathetic."

Apidae rose to her hooves, leaving the distinctive imprint in the grass. She turned to Cornicle with a new, dawning smile.

"I enjoy being close because it makes me feel like love is something that I can create, myself, something that I can own. For the first time I don't see love as food, but as an experience. And, it's not every changeling for themselves anymore, it's all of us. If we're what we have, then I'd rather experience love, together."

As if complimenting the end of her speech, the breeze picked up, creating a low droning sound in each changeling's ear. The group of bug ponies gawked to one another, and to Apidae.

"Wow, I didn't realize I'd have to think about my feelings, today," Coxa said bluntly, breaking the silence and pretending to retch. A few chuckles followed from some of the more quiet drones.

"I thought that was very well put, Apidae," came the reserved voice of Aphidel, gingerly sitting in a loaf a few feet beyond Coxa. "Very wise words. Words that many changelings could take to heart."

Aphidel's gaze drifted towards Coxa, a subtle look of disgust taking root as the orange drone continued to be obscene for the amusement of the other drones.

"Was that a satisfactory explanation, Cornicle?", Apidae asked with intrigue, lending a hoof to help the changeling up.

"Yeah, it was," the blue bug pony admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "That was really insightful, actually. I'm a little shocked."

Apidae gave her fellow drone another smile, and for the first time since they'd left the observation chamber, Cornicle smiled back.

"I suppose we should head into town, now, and attempt to befriend the crystal ponies," Aphidel announced to the group, standing from her spot in the grass and casting her eyes towards the looming crystal structures beyond the hills. "As delighted I'm sure King Thorax will be to hear of our self-guided tour of the empire, I can't imagine he'd be anything but disappointed to hear that we elected to avoid all local inhabitants."

"Yeah, he'd give us one of his looks," Apidae snickered, lowering the register of her voice, puffing out her chitinous chest and making firm eye contact with a particularly bemused drone. "'I'm really disappointed in you guys, but this is all I can manage so please reconsider for next time'."

"I wouldn't get too comfortable with that thought," Cornicle put in with a smirk. "I think I'm living proof that Thorax is slowly but surely devising new, horrific ways to reprimand changelings."

The group of bug ponies shared a moment of merriment as they turned their heading back towards the luminescent city.

Author's Notes:

I wanted to have another transition chapter like Bugs on a Train, focused around the changelings and the varied thoughts they have regarding King Thorax. We've seen a lot of acceptance thus far, with not much asides Thorax talking about the opposition towards The Reign of King Cuddle Bug, so I figured it was about time to make a chapter about it.

Oh, and as you can see there's a titular cover art with an extended background, now.