While the griffons enjoyed their prosperity, the Changelings were still mourning. But first- why not take a minute to look at the state of the place?

The hive has gone quite far in the past few years thanks to their newly founded emphasis on art and culture. Even though their level of industry pales in comparison to even that of Equestria, they created many public works projects that have become famous the world over.

Within less than a decade, the Changeling Hive had been transformed from an ugly, craggy blemish on the land; to a legitimately awesome multi-tiered city of pillars and marble highlighted with lapis lazuli, each level overflowing with beautifully maintained shrubbery, abundant spices, herbs, fruits, vegetables, as well as varied insects and snails which formed the majority of changeling diet. The Hive had even expanded, with marble buildings spreading out from the base of the cyclopean main building, serving as residencies, storehouses, and all sorts of purposes.

This development project was not the result of great material wealth, or financial cunning, or even corruption and creative accounting; no, this project was the result of people in a community coming together to create something beautiful, something which would stand for thousands of years past their death. Even if their names are forgotten in the coming millenia, knowing that you were part of something which will puzzle future historians is a far greater incentive than any material wealth.

For you see, the Changeling Hive practices what they call Hivism. It’s a system where after a changeling is educated and grown up, they get to choose what they want to do. Some like to build, some like to maintain, some like to cook, some like to farm, some like to teach, some continue to learn; and sometimes, changelings will dedicate their life to a hobby such as painting, if the corporate life doesn’t suit them.

Of course, there are systems in place to help prevent job shortages- for example, if the government needs more changelings for a public works project, and you’re a sculptor changeling who needs new tools, you can hop into one of these jobs and work until you can afford your tools, simply leave whenever.

The Changelings call this Hivism. And there is two main factors that allows it to work smoothly- The changeling hive faces very few external threats which would require militarization, thanks to the efforts of the Equestrian Military keeping the displaced beasts of the then-badlands in check, such as the dread maulwurf, among others.

The other would be the Changeling Relocation Clause, which was part of the original treaty. It states that as long as the Changeling Hive follows the rules and guidelines set by Equestria, a small percentage of Changelings would be allowed to leave the hive, and some even moved into Equestria proper. This serves as their main source of trade- they’re sent out to Equestria to work whatever jobs they can so that they can buy stuff that the hive needs.

I’m massively oversimplifying it, but it’s kind of like how the Amish fund their… amish activities, by building furniture and stuff to sell to the rest of the dirty, dirty sinners. Just with more prostitution, from the changelings.

Of course, this led Thorax to his current problem.

The funeral for the five changelings that were executed by the griffons was perhaps the biggest tragedy to yet befall the New Hive. Five innocent changelings who were conscripted into service by a foreign military were beaten and killed in the line of duty, which they never really wanted. They were never taught to fight, as it was assumed they wouldn’t need to.

Why would they? All they were doing was taking pictures for Equestria to keep the peace.

The funeral itself was a grand event, with massive portraits honoring their fallen companions, flowers and gold lining the walls and pillars, and speeches were given by family members, as well as Thorax. Volunteer artists helped to erect marble statues in their honor.

But anyways, the aftermath of this funeral is why King Thorax was silently brooding in his office. He had already cried enough at the funeral- he couldn’t cry anymore.

He couldn’t just pull out of Griffonia- the Equestrian military would leave them to dry, possibly even invade them! It was like the Treaty of Versailles- they weren’t allowed to properly militarize due to their past. Not to mention, all his changelings would get kicked out of Equestria, cutting off their one essential source of trade.

THUNK!

Thorax slammed a hoof into his desk, finally having had enough.

“That’s it. Where’s Saul?” He mumbled to himself. Saul was his head scribe- and he planned on calling him to reread the terms of the treaty. There had to be something in there, some sort of odd wording which could be exploited.

And if nothing else, Thorax remembered something he read from a transcription of a meeting between Leona and Twilight. Though much of it was redacted, one line in particular stuck out; If you want peace, prepare for war.

The soft king read this and thought to himself how horrible!

He sighed to himself. “Maybe… she has some merit, after all.”

“Finally seeing reason?” He heard his brother, Pharynx- causing him to startle. The King’s brother never quite got over his past in the military, and it still affects his outlook on life, even today.

“Look, I’m not saying I’m agreeing with that… evil woman…” Thorax snorted, “What was that thing Starlight said about a broken clock being right twice a day?” He said, already resolving to visit the aforementioned friend for advice. He went off to find his scribe, but his brother spoke up.

“Whatever you’re planning, do it fast. Equestria’s gonna get antsy when the photos stop coming in.” Thorax sighed. He ordered the laying low of his spies due to the danger of the situation, and thankfully, he hasn’t heard any bad news since. “Not to mention, who knows what that… that evil woman is planning?” He muttered to himself, and Thorax nodded silently in agreement.

---

Breaking News from the Griffonian Confederacy! Don Leona Grimfeather has announced the total nationalization of the griffon healthcare system!

“No more will the average griffon have to choose between rent and medical care! No more will you have to factor the ambulance wagon costs during times of emergency!”

Leona’s voice could be heard on the radio, along with the cheering crowd- “Let’s give a round of applause to Capo Jos McGowan and Capo Fin McGowan! They’re the ones that hel-”

The radio was turned off, the owner sighing and rubbing her temple. She looked at the hospital bill on her desk from her recent emergency appendix surgery bitterly, that and the dull ache in her side distracting her from the paperwork she desperately needed to finish before she could go to bed.

“Starliiight? Darling, why are you still up? You need rest.” Her lover whined from the doorway behind her, and she dropped her pencil and rested her head in her hooves.

“For fucks sake, Trixie, I gotta finish this!” She snapped, causing her to wince and grab her side. She immediately felt awful for her outburst- between that and the pain, she couldn’t stop a few errant tears from rolling down her cheeks. “Look, I didn’t mean to-” she moved to apologize, but Trixie was already there, wrapping her arms around her lover.

Having had enough, she took a deep breath and started silently crying into her wife’s shoulder.

See, it wasn’t the fact that Starlight couldn’t afford her bill. As the Dean of the School of Friendship and close friend of Twilight Sparkle, she was hardly hurting for money.

Starlight doesn’t see herself as being unable to afford the bill. The way she sees it, there shouldn’t be a bill at all. Why is it that the nation which is apparently the largest global superpower, can’t even pay for the medical bills of its citizens? Why are things such as medical leave and employment considered privileges, and not rights? Even as the Dean of the most prestigious law/business school in the nation, she’s no more exempt from suffering through the pain than anyone else.

But you know who is immune from that pain? The nobility. The rich. The CEO’s.

Twilight.

More and more, Starlight has seen her world turn into a corporate playground. Even Ponyville wasn’t safe from the encroaching tide of industry, with several canning and processing factories opened up to synergize with the local, ancient farms. Ponyville became a boomtown practically overnight, and ugly apartment buildings on the outskirts marred the idyllic beauty of the small town.

This is mainly a result of population growth. When Leona recreated the Haber-Bosch system, most of that ammonia got turned to fertilizer, which meant more food. More food meant cheaper food, and cheaper food meant bigger families. Bigger families means more jobs are required, more people buy food, have more kids, buy more food, number goes up, money printer goes BRRRRRRRR… you get the point.

Starlight finally calmed herself down enough to speak.

“Trix, can you do me a favor, baby?” She asked, face still buried in her wifes shoulder. “Send a telegram to Neighsay. I’m not going in tomorrow.” She resolved as the two made their way to their bedroom. Because of Starlight’s injury, they couldn’t cuddle as tight as they normally do- but they were content being close regardless.

Besides, it’s friday. Fuck ‘em.

---

Because of the pain medication Starlight was on, she slept quite well. She took a little extra before bed, so that night her head was full of visions of sugar plums and other incoherent nonsense. Her wife had already left for work and helped her change her bandages, so she was left to let her injury heal in peace.

She laid in bed, the early morning sunlight filtering through the curtains as her nearby radio played soft, relaxing music. It was early fall- but Starlight had a thick comforter and soft pajamas to keep warm.

DING, DONG! DING, DONG! KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

Her doorbell getting mashed followed by several heavy knocks on her front door made her rub her forehead in exasperation. The pounding never stopped, contributing to her budding headache.

When she opened the door, Neighsay was there- and he looked quite furious.

“What is the meaning of this!?” He held the telegram up and slammed it into the dirt below. He was her “boss-” but really, he was just some unqualified noble who was given his position on the school board.

“I just got out of surgery. I’m sorry, but I can’t work today.” She said plainly, the pain in her side flaring up. The stallion just huffed in annoyance and rolled his eyes.

“Ohh, boo-hoo for you. Next, I suppose you’re gonna tell me you can’t work because you stubbed your hoof?” He was utterly unsympathetic, and he used his hoof to kick some gravel into Starlights home. He pointed at Starlight. “If I don’t see you on Monday, there will be consequences.” He didn’t care who Twilight was friends with. He was nobility, and Twilight couldn’t do shit about it.

If anything, Twilight would be forced to take Neighsay’s side.

“Understood, Chancellor Neighsay.” He snorted then huffed off. Starlight didn’t dare slam her door in the face of a noble, as the consequences for such an insult would be quite bad.

But it’s a good thing she waited-

“Thorax!” She waved to her changeling friend as he approached from the distance.

As it turns out, he planned to visit to see how she was doing after her surgery. They spent the next while talking about personal things- about the surgery, about the spies, all sorts of stuff.

But eventually, the conversation shifted.

They were in Starlight’s living room, both picking away at a bowl of grapes that sat on the coffee table while they spoke.

“So, Thorax.” She said, using her magic to pop a grape in her mouth. “How… how happy, are the changelings?” She asked curiously, and Thorax cocked an eyebrow.

“I mean… what with the recent-” He started,

“No, I mean… in general. Do you think they’re… happy with how you run things? With how things work?” She asked nervously. Without hesitation, Thorax responded.

“Absolutely, they’re happy.” He beamed with pride as he explained- “The utter freedom that my people enjoy was completely unheard of during the time of Chrysalis! It makes you wonder, why didn't we do things like that sooner, you know?” He mused to himself, and Starlight scratched her chin.

“Yeah… Why…” She muttered to herself, rubbing her chin.

The rest of their friendly meeting went amicably… but Starlight had a lot on her mind.

That night, she would pen Hivism and Equestria: Why Not Now?

It was an essay where Starlight argues that an Equestria that is made to function like the Changeling Hive, with some modifications, would be a far better system than the one currently in place.

This ideology would eventually be named Marksism, after the author’s pseudonym- Cutie Marks.

---

“Leona, why are you wearing that?” My wife asked as I changed Annie for the first time.

Due to the abhorrent smell, I put one of my gas masks on, much to the amusement of our baby. She kept swatting and grabbing at the filter, squirming around and generally being a menace.

Finally, my baby was clean and changed, and I took the mask off and gave my wife a deadpan.

“She stinks.” Was my defense.

I'm sure this ideology will be inconsequential in the long run, riiight?

I have a discord server for this fic out now!! It'd be real cool if u joined :333

As always, thanks so much for reading! Likes and comments are always appreciated :3