“Alright! Livida! Empis! You two will form a pair, strap on your skis and get in line. Hey! Are you even listening to me?”
>You frowned.
>It was a beautiful day out today, perfect for skiing, the sun was up high and there wasn’t a single cloud out.
>The snow gleamed before you, well, it gleamed where your drones hadn’t yet stomped it down.
>Those few precious patches were growing smaller as you watched them at play.
>Now you smiled.
>You couldn’t help it, they just looked so…
>Precious, innocent as they trounced around in the snow, calling out in chirps to each other and tripping all over themselves as they laughed and played together.
>Every now and then one of them would use their magic to lob a snow ball, and like an epidemic, they would all start tossing them till they got bored and quit back to just horsing around.
>The snowsuits they wore were just adorable, filled with cotton and all color coordinated in alternating green and black, with the occasional bright pink or robin blue.
>The mall you’d stopped at to pick them up at hadn’t the stock of black and green suits for all of your drones, unfortunately.
>Livida didn’t seem to mind though, she stepped up to you, beaming in her bright yellow snow suit.
>Empis soon followed, he had to dodge around a few of his brothers and sisters though.
>They both stood at attention before you, smiling graciously.
>”Awaiting orders my Queen.”
>”Awaiting orders my Queen.”
>You smiled back and pointed them over to the rack of skis nearby where the ski instructor was waiting to help the drones get their skis on.
“Over there little ones, do be nice to him, consider his orders as you would mine own.”
>The instructor had been a little nervous from the start of all this, but he seemed a bit relieved when he heard you say that.
>Livida and Empis nodded dutifully before trotting over to the rack.
>You sighed and smiled.
“Alright! Now, Vespula, Trychu. You two will form the next pair.”
 
 
>All in all it had taken you about ten minutes to get your twenty one drones together and on the lifts, but you’d succeeded.
>You adjusted your coat a little and put your hood up against the slight wind.
>Good and warm.
>It looked fantastic too, a Christmas gift from your drones in the icy wastes of Siberia.
>It had a green and black design all over it, mostly jet black with a green filigree drawing out patterns like the holes through your hives and through your body.
>The hood was the piece de resistance of the whole affair, it was all in green and had actual holes in it, both for form and function.
>One was conveniently placed so that you could slip your horn through it, while others simply let your beautiful blue mane be seen.
>The back had a similar idea going, with around three or four small holes at the center of it, two for your wings to pass through.
>Practically a second chitin.
>Thank goodness you’d foregone snow pants though, or you’d hardly even be able to sit on your haunches royally like this, with your snowboard dangling off of your two hind hooves by an infused magic.
>That was another gift from your drones, this one from your hives in the marginally more populated icy wastes of Canada.
>The board had a black and blue web pattern, to match your hair.
>You’d have to find a good gift for all the networking drones that got all of this stuff worked out, maybe take them on a trip of your own planning
>Somewhere… Warm though perhaps.
>But for now you focused on this one, it was meant to be a joyous occasion, a reward for your elite guard squadron.
>You smiled over at the drone sitting beside you on the lift.
>Zorotypus was looking a little surly today, but he forced a smile back for you.
>He had his skis strapped to his hind hooves and he dangled them over the edge of the lift, kicking his legs every now and then.
“What’s the matter Zoro?”
>He blushed and stammered out a reply, thrown a little off balance by your sudden informality.
>”J-just my snow suit your Highness. Not t-that there’s anything wrong with it! I am… Well I-I just…”
>You giggled and booped his snout.
 
>Zorotypus scrunched up reflexively, then laughed a little too, lightening up.
“It’s the pink huh? Here.”
>Your horn lit up as you let magic flow through you.
>Zoro’s eyes went wide and he gestured wildly.
>”No, no my Queen! You need not trouble yourself with such a trifling and selfish matter I in-“
“Well, I insist. Sit still Zorotypus.”
>He acquiesced, sighing but more comfortable now that you’d given him a clear order.
>You cast your spell, changing the color of the suit from pink to a deep blue to match Zoro’s eyes.
>You nodded and smiled, satisfied.
“There.”
>Zorotypus bowed his head graciously, you could see from his grin that you’d pretty much just made his week.
>He’d always been an excellent soldier.
>”Thank you, from the depths of my heart, dearest Queen Chrysalis.”
“You’re welcome.”
>Up ahead you could see the lift landing coming up.
>You put on a playfully stern voice and perked a brow at Zoro.
“At attention soldier, we’re approaching the front lines, ready your weapons.”
>Zoro completed the act, saluting curtly and barking back a reply.
“AT YOUR ORDERS QUEEN. LET THE SNOW TASTE OF ITS OWN ICE COLD BLOOD.”
>Then he gave a quick, confident smirk before easing out of the lift and onto the snow alongside you, sliding down the little decline.
>You landed it perfectly, with utmost grace you carved gently down and to your destination at the guidepost.
>Zorotypus made a valiant attempt at doing the same, but he wound up face planting right at the bat.
>Giggling over his frustrated groans, you scooted over and helped him back up.
>This should be fun.
 
>”A-Alright! I’m going to have you all come down one by one, to see your technique!”
>It was at the last stretch of the lesson, your hired ski instructor had led you and your drones over to one last decline.
>If you were remembering correctly, they called this section “the Sissy”.
>Fitting, it certainly wasn’t an imposing drop.
>Just a soft, wide, rolling decline with fresh snow, clear of any obstacles and bordered on either side with trees.
>But from what you’d seen of your elite guard squadron’s skiing skills thus far, it would prove to be quite the challenge.
>They’d more or less crashed their way through the first parts of the lesson, falling and messing around as they would.
>Zorotypus seemed quite determined to do things right though, perhaps because he was paired with you.
>Oh, and Vespula was proving to be a natural, she carved along nearly as well as you did.
>Zoro was at your side, watching with some incredulity, the bumbling, playful mess of his comrades as they talked excitedly among themselves.
>Finally it seemed, they came to some sort of consensus.
>They positioned themselves all up into a straight line, with little bursts of laughter here and there.
>What are they doing?
>You wondered at it, suddenly they’d gone from complete mess to essentially battle ready.
>Then one of the drones spoke up.
>”WE REFUSE YOUR TERMS HUMAN. WE SHALL DESCEND AS ONE. SO SAYETH THE HIVE.”
>Zorotypus huffed and started over to the other drones.
>”The nerve! The insubordination! Even after her Highness ordered them to obey the human they-“
>You just laughed and bit down on Zoro’s snow suit, tugging him back up to you.
“Oh relax Zoro, let them have their fun. Besides, this should be fun to watch.”
>You let yourself down, laying on your side watching the drones with your snowboard out of the way.
>Zoro hesitantly accompanied you.
>With a series of war clicks, the drones descended all at once.
>You’d say the formation lasted about two seconds, but that would be fairly liberal.
 
>You’d also be rounding up.
>Nearly immediately they all went in different directions or they fell and rolled on to the bottom.
>About halfway through, all of them had fallen and were in various states of either getting back up, rolling to the bottom, or rolling all over each other and laughing uproariously.
>All except for Vespula of course, she’d simply kept right on, descending at a good clip past the instructor.
>You laughed and got up, dragging Zorotypus up with you.
“Come Zoro, let us catch Vespula!”
>Down the hill, past all your drones, carving left and right with all four hooves on your board.
>You shifted them around as you pleased to distribute your weight, depending on the magic of the board to keep it stuck to your hooves.
>The mountains stretched out before you, vast towering spires of dark nature in the distance, shrouded in storm clouds fast advancing.
>Snow today.
>But the sun gleamed on as well, a beacon cutting across the shadows and throwing the lower hills into bright brilliant light, exposing the pure white snow and the green pines and spruce that spread across all the land.
>A quick peek behind you showed that Zorotypus was keeping pace, surprisingly enough, he’d certainly improved his skills.
>Ahead you caught sight of Vespula racing on, she’d noticed you behind her and had increased her speed.
>You could hear her laughing from here.
“I will catch you Vespula! I swear it!”
>Vespula grinned back at you.
>”Then come, your Highness. I bid you good luck.”
>All of a sudden, Vespula turned, cutting across the hill and straight into the woods on her left.
>Your eyes went wide for a moment, but then you grinned toothily, fangs gleaming.
>You carved hard to turn onto Vespula’s path, and dove into it like a rabid hound, as fast as you could.
>Carving between trees and jumping over boulders.
>Logs came up and you grinded over them, focused on picking up speed.
>Zoro had followed you into the wooded path, but he was swiftly losing ground.
>You ducked a branch and called out to him.
 
“Take your time Zorotypus, I would not want you to hurt yourself!”
>You could hear him grumbling, but then he cried out.
>He’d gone just a little too quickly over a snow drift, crashing rear first right into the one after it, stuck up to his barrel in snow.
>You shook your head and laughed.
“I warned you!”
>On to Vespula.
>You were gaining ground, your board cut through the snow like butter, and soon you’d be coming out into the open.
>Vespula was desperately checking over her back now, always shocked at how close you were getting.
“Oh come now, you underestimate your Queen.”
>You cackled maniacally and sped up, flying right over a fallen tree and onto the open trail.
>Vespula was just ahead now, you were nearly on her tail.
>All of a sudden, she veered again, this time taking the left turn at the oncoming fork in the trail.
>You got a quick peek at the trail sign as you whipped past it.
“La Fleur.”
>It was a double black diamond, someone had used a marker to add four more black diamonds however, along with a little stick figure of a dead skier.
>You only grinned harder, fangs locked together.
>Practically flying by, you raced towards the drop.
>It had a nearly sixty five degree angle of depression to it, and every last bit of the snow was pure powder.
>But…
>There were also moguls, a huge array of them near the bottom.
>Along with random patches of cold gleaming rock and logs over the trail.
>Vespula was certainly clever, snowboards weren’t designed to traverse moguls at all.
>She had the advantage.
>But you had the determination.
>Laughing joyously, you bombed the hill, carving out of the way of obstacles and sliding along the icy patches.
 
>You’d gotten right up behind Vespula now, she’d just hit the first mogul.
>You took your first one with as much speed as you could manage, flying high in the air.
>Flying right over Vespula’s head.
>She stared in awe as you back flipped over her and came to land far past her, perfectly, never breaking stride.
>Next mogul you jumped again, skipping the rest of the array to land on smooth snow.
>It was a clean race to the bottom.
>Vespula never had a chance to catch up.
>She came in a minute or so after you pulled a hard stop at the ski lodge, blabbering excitedly about your flip.
>”Your Highness that was absolutely incredible! I had no idea you could even- By the Hive! By the hearts!”
>You laughed and mussed up her mane, stepping off of your board.
>She practically melted at the attention.
“And you were no slouch either Vespula, well done.”
>Already you could tell that these ski trips were going to become a holiday tradition.