>Many days have passed in peace and relative comfort, here in the Changeling Hive.
>You’d guess it’s been about a week since you were first freed,
>and as you’ve settled in to your new life, your relationships with your lovers have really matured –
>particularly with one very special Changeling, who,
>on this bright and cool morning, you currently find yourself arguing with.
“I’m just saying –“
>”I know what you’re saying! I just… why can’t you at least try for a little while?”
“And starve myself?  It would be like you being forced to ignore me for a few days.”
>”It’s not the same –“
“Yes it is. It’s exactly the same. I feed on Changelings and you feed on me.
The difference is that I can’t sustain myself on just you.”
>You can see tears welling in his eyes.
>”I-I love you, though…”
>God, this is hard. You wrap your arms around him, bringing him in for an embrace.
“I love you too. So, so much.”
>You feel yourself being drained, though he is careful not to exhaust you.
>You still don’t really understand Changeling nutrition very well,
>and this little guy probably throws even Chrysalis for a loop;
>he loves you and you love him, and your mutual adoration is what keeps him alive.
“Hey…”
>”Yeah?”
“Let’s go somewhere. Just you and me; spend a day without any other drones to distract us.”
>”Really? But what about –“
“It’s just one day. Besides, you guys’ seed is really rich, I probably spoil myself on it as is.”
>”Does that mean I could feed you on my own?”
“Now now, I didn’t say that…”
>You pull him up for a kiss, petting him behind the ear as you slide your tongue along his razor-sharp canines,
>tracing each in turn as he weakly protests against your assault with his,
>thin and serpentine and oh-so pleasant to the touch.
>You have a strong compulsion to throw him down and ravish him.
>”Aww, okay.”
>You grab your fur cloak, a gift of Chrysalis, from its resting place;
>loose, rugged and rather shaggy, it appears to be Griffon-made,
>if the jet-black hair of some large mammalian predator is any indication.
>Ponies have neither the necessity nor the inclination to make such a thing,
>and regardless, it’s far too large for any but the biggest stallions.
>Draping it over your nude form, your lover eyes you giddily;
>you’ve not yet had an occasion to pose for him, you realize.
“How do I look?”
>”Beautiful…”
“I was going for handsome, but thanks.”
>You plant a kiss on his forehead, and the two of you step out of the chamber.
>Being so early, the Hive is largely quiet; you realize you’ve never quite seen it in full swing,
>considering your time is always occupied by servicing the drones who want to make use of you.
>The drones who have currently afflicted your favorite companion with a spot of jealousy.
>Oh well. He’s completely justified in his feelings, but you don’t think there’s anything you can do.
>Changelings don’t eat food, after all, but they do produce it, in all its warm, slimy, tasty…
>”Hey, what’s it like outside the Hive?”
“Huh?”
>That was out of nowhere.
>”I’ve never been out… they say I’m not very strong. We don’t usually leave unless we’re on expeditions.
“I see. Well, you’ll see soon enough, though we’ll probably just take a quick walk.
I can’t remember what this place looks like from the outside – it must be huge.”
>”Yeah.”
>You make your way through the passages closest to the ground,
>following behind the  young Changeling as he trots and hovers through winding black tunnels of shimmering chitin.
“You *do* know where we’re going, right?”
>”Of course. We all know where the exit is.”
“I don’t.”
>”Well, you’re not a Changeling, silly.” He rubs affectionately against your  side,
>but you just shake your head.
>The Hive is big, but it’s no labyrinth. After a few more minutes of walking,
>you come upon a chamber larger than the rest; light streams in through irregular oval apertures,
>and a single armored hunk stands beside an open passage at one end.
>He appears startled at seeing you.
>”Human! What are you doing here?”
“We’re going out for a walk. I haven’t seen the sun in months, remember?”
>”Um, well, that’s certainly your right, sir,
>but protocol dictates that all entrance and egress must be approved in advance by Her Highness the Queen.
>“Oh, come on! Even just for a little trip?”
>The guard looks frustrated with your dronefriend.
>”You may not realize this, youngling, but the Hive is a military installation. For all of our safety –
>”Oh, calm down, child.”
>Chrysalis’s booming voice is enough to silence all in the room;
>you turn to see her alighting behind you, an annoyed expression on her regal face.
>”Human, drone, I give you my authorization to freely leave and return,
>now and at any future point you see fit.”
>She strides past you to the guard on duty.
>”Soldier, while I appreciate your adherence to procedure,
>you shall make an exception for these two, and tell your fellow guards the same.
>They are a special case.”
>”O-of course, Your Highness.”
>”Good, now leave us for a moment. I would like to speak with them in private.”
>”Yes, Your Highness.” The guard scurries off, leaving your Queen facing the two of you at the doorway.
“If I may, Your Highness, why are you giving us special permission?”
>”You are my guest, human. I’ll not have you accosted by my guards in the typical manner.”
“Right… instead, a rather atypical manner…”
>”Hmph. You seem to have taken to it rather well.”
“I got there.”
>”Might I ask where you are headed?”
>You rub your hand along your drone lover’s shoulder.
“We wanted a day to ourselves, really. Thought it’d be nice to see the surroundings,
and what the Hive looks like from outside for a change.”
>”It is a magnificent sight, human. I hope you enjoy yourselves –
>I have business to attend to, so if you’ll excuse me.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
>You can’t quite place it, but there was something about the Queen that seemed a bit… off.
>A certain… cast to her features, maybe?
>You don’t really know. You’re probably just reading too much into it.
>Your Changeling friend rubs against your cloak as his mother canters off.
>”You ready to go?”
“If you are.”
>He stays close to you as you stride through the entryway,
>a twisting and narrow passage that slopes upward at a moderate incline;
>the entrance hall must’ve been underground.
>Your  first sight of the early-morning sun in over a year almost overwhelms you;
>a throbbing, searing pain blazes in your eyes as you look away,
>huddled against the chitinous walls of the Hive that is your home.
>”Hey… you okay?”
“It’s the sun. Don’t tell me  you’re fine.”
>You peek over at your boyfriend.
>”Doesn’t seem that bad. What’s wrong?”
“It’s… it’s nothing. Must’ve adjusted to the Hive a bit too well.”
>He peers into your eyes with an adorable, childlike curiosity.
>”Weird.”
>The two of you fully climb out onto the surface.
>You peek back at the open air and lay your eyes upon the Badlands;
>a ruddy, rocky desert miles away from anything resembling civilization,
>the Changeling Hive a solitary black haven situated in its vast and dead expanse.
>Not really your idea of a pleasant outing, but it’s what you’ve got to work with.
>”Wow… it’s so pretty.”
“What? You kidding? It’s hot as hell out here, and we’re both wearing black.”
>”You’re the one who wanted to go outside! Besides, I’m not a warm-blood. Doesn’t affect me.”
“Well good for you.”
>You peer into the distance, making out a chain of mountains several miles off.
>That must be Equestria…
>Gosh, what was Equestria even like?
>”Wow…”
>You look over at him as he cranes his neck, staring up at your home; you do the same.
>For all of the Badlands’ stark beauty, the Hive is something else altogether –
>rising at least two hundred feet into the air, like an oval lodged into the solid earth,
>its solid black surface, impenetrable apart from irregular apertures and sharp, threatening spines,
>it all just leaves you speechless.
“Hey, maybe we could go get a better look?”
>”Huh? Um, yeah, okay.”
>He seems almost weary to pry himself away from his home, and you don’t blame him.
>The Badlands are not exactly hospitable,
>especially compared to the cool, damp caverns you’ve come to know and love.
>You catch sight of a hill a quarter mile off that juts out in a sort of outcropping,
>and the concave little hollow it forms seems like a good enough resting spot.
>A short and uncomfortably barefoot walk later, the two of you have made your way to the bottom of the hill,
>shaded as  you had hoped, and take seats on a boulder you happen to find.
>The Hive from this angle is a bit less overwhelming, but every bit as impressive;
>its twisting, slender spires, set against the backdrop of an endless open sky,
>are an uncanny reminder of the shape of a Changeling’s –
>”How do you think it was built?”
“Huh? You would know that better than I would.”
>He looks up at you, laid out on the rock, and you drape him in your spacious coat.
>”They don’t tell common drones stuff like that…”
“Well, maybe we can ask Chrysalis. She must’ve been involved, right?”
>”Hmm, I dunno. She isn’t the first Queen, though she’s older than most of us.
>Changelings have been around for a really long time.”
“I see. It’s a nice home.”
>”Yeah, I like it too.”
>…