“My Queen,” one of my guard drones took his bow before me as I sat upon my stone throne. “The unicorn pony says he is finished with his preparations and ready to begin.”

“Excellent,” standing up from the throne I stepped down, “then let us accompany him and greet our new guest.”

“Yes, my Queen,” he bowed his head and turned around to walk by my side. My hive was literally buzzing with activity. I’ve allowed the rumors to spread about working with the same unicorn that had partially succeeded in his first attempt to bring back this Blackheart pony. Because he failed, he had come to me and asked for my assistance. I’m not an unfeeling changeling queen, so I’ll gladly help another creature out in plotting revenge. Even if it was a pony. As my guard and I walked through the hive, drones bowed low to me, hissing out “my queen.” The room he was in was secure from morphing like the rest of the hive. Being necessary for the runes he was carving. And now with all the preparations completed, it was time to see if he succeeds or not. And if not then at least I’ll have the pleasure of killing him.

My guards saluted me as I approached with the door squelching open for me. Inside the circular barren room was a raised square platform. Patterned around the room were the runes he’s been carving into the stone walls and floors. With each one having lines connected directly to a center rune in the middle of the raised platform. The middle-aged stallion stood ready at the base of the platform as I and my guard walked in. “I am ready Queen Chrysalis,” he bowed his head to me with a sneer, “Thank you for helping me stop the alien menace called Emmit.”

“Is everything ready?” I stared down at him after stepping up beside him and eyeing the platform.

“Of course,” he nodded, motioning his hoof to the platform, “all we need is a vessel for the soul that the runes will be calling.”

“Very well,” I acknowledged before looking down at the guard next to me. “Send for Thorax’s squad.”

He bowed his head, “Yes, my Queen,” then ran off.

“So what is my part?” I asked him while watching him carefully. I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t me he was secretly trying to manipulate.

“Your magic will be needed to activate all the runes around the room,” he motioned around the room with his hoof, “then on the platform. I have already put the organic material in the center.”

“Tell me again, why I risked exposing my undercover drone in the castle for this...material?”

He dared to roll his eyes at me, “I needed the material in order for the runes to draw in one of his living relatives. It is known that his mother was already pulled, so that would leave his father. The runes draw from the immediate family member, but needs a body for the soul to inhabit.” He then looked up at me with a cautious look, “The soul of the original host will die when the new soul comes to take its place.”

I waved it off with my hoof, “No need to worry.” It was then that Thorax and his small squad entered the room.

“My Queen,” Thorax ran up with his squad as he, and they bowed their heads to me. “You requested our presence?”

“Yes. It has come to my attention that your squad is not performing adequately.” He looked up at me with fear in his eyes, as he should be fearful. “You know the penalty for a lacking performance.” Each one trembled under my gaze as my eyes met each one of theirs. Thorax was wise to remain silent. “You,” my hoof pointed to a drone at the end, “go and stand on the platform in the center of this room.”

“Yes, my Q-Queen,” he stuttered but quickly ran over and sat on it.

“Good, now don’t move no matter what happens,” I cooed at him. He responded with another “Yes, my Queen,” as I started to walk toward the first of the runes along the room’s outer wall. And placing my horn to the rune I used my magic to bring it to life. Once it was glowing, I did the same to the rest of them around the outside wall of the room. To the drone’s credit he obeyed. Out of fear of course. There was nothing he could have done anyway. Hopefully, the one taking his place would prove to be more worthwhile.

“Good, Queen Chrysalis,” the stallion grinned as the runes lit up the room in their various colors. “Powering the rune in the center will bring forth the required soul.”

Stepping up to the platform I gave him one last look before my horn touched the rune. His screams started immediately when the center rune ignited. The power coming from the runes were so intense that it started to shake the very hive. I could hear the worried hissing and buzzing of the other drones as pulses of power emanated from the outer runes toward the center one. His screams stopped after a powerful blast from the center rune, which threatened to bring down the hive. But the hive stood firm with the hum and pulsing power of the runes vibrating through the very walls. Another second later all the runes brightened with so much power that I had to shut my eyes to it. And within a span of a few seconds, everything went quiet.

The drone lay quiet in the center of the platform in the midst of the smoking runes. The runes themselves now lay quiet and dormant without a hint of light. “Yes,” the stallion whispered as he rushed up to the platform. “I think it worked.”

I remained skeptical as I carefully approached the platform to eye the apparent lifeless drone. But within a minute or two he began to stir. With a loud groan he started to sit up, but not like a normal drone would. He raised a hoof and put it against his forehead while leaning up on his haunches, “Damn hangover. I wonder what time it is?” His voice was vastly different as well. This very well could be his father.

“It worked!” the stallion celebrated with a shout and dancing in place.

“OW shut the fuck up,” he replied with a shout of his own and putting both hooves against his temple. “Can’t you see I’m trying to...wait a minute...” I watched him lower his hooves and open his eyes. I loved the shocked look he was giving us as he looked around. “The fuck?”

“Are you Mister Knight? Emmit Knight’s father?” I asked, trying to sound like a caring and concerned outcasted mother.

He focused on me with his eyes scanning me, “What the hell are you supposed to be?” When he pointed at me he finally took a look at himself. “Fuck that,” his voice was a shout in alarm, “what am I supposed to be? And why do I look like Swiss Cheese? I gotta stop drinking. These strange dreams are driving me crazy.”

I stepped up to him and lightly bonked him on his head, “I assure you Mister Knight, you are not dreaming. This is real and we have summoned you here in the body you possess so you can rescue your son.”

Now I had his immediate attention. Forgetting the body he now resided in, he glared up at me, “Emmit? Do you know what happened to him? He just disappeared one day from my life. Where is he?”

“All in good time,” I cooed at him while using my hoof to gently bring him down off the platform, “all in good time.” Slowly, I brought him into a hug, “I’ll tell you everything you need to know in order to save your son from the princesses that had brought him here.”

“He’s here? He’s alive?” he pulled back and immediately looked up at me with the same look I’ve seen many times.

“Oh yes, but he’s being used by those that have already outcast my hive and the true rulers of Equestria,” I began before looking toward my guard. “Escort us to my chambers, there is much to tell him and he’ll need refreshments.”

“Yes, my Queen,” he bowed to me and left and with a nod of my head Thorax and his squad left as well.

“Now come, Mister Night,” I urged him forward, “I’ll tell you everything you need to know about your son and about your new body in order to rescue him from the tyrannical princesses that had captured him.”

“I’ll do anything to save my son.”

With a wicked inward cackle, I had hoped he would. “Then I’m glad that you will help me, the true rulers of this nation. With your help, we will save your son and restore us to power.”

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