private Snowed In (1x1 With Raven Rawne)

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@,

 

The mare listened to Aquarius as she washed the dishes. No technology? How strange...

 

Crystal Clear chuckled. "Okay, I guess I shouldn't mention it if I didn't want to tell, right?" She was basically finished there so she put away the last plate and wiped her hooves. She started talking as she took the course to her bed, in order to sit on it.

 

"So... last year I had a customer in my workshop who wanted to hire a Master of Crystal to build a crystal reception in a bank. Awful lot of work, and material. A few shops already refused so it was easy to bump my pay, since I basically had to live there in a hotel for like, a month. Turned out I stayed month and a half, but whatever. That's where I discovered this thing and muic records, among other things. So when I came back home..." She frowned, not sure whether to tell or not. "Basically, I was so homesick that I just kicked the bags in a corner, set up the gramophone... and get drunk. But not just that, I came out only when I ran out of booze and went to buy s'more. Worst hangover in my life, I tell you! My parents caught me and I got an earful. The've been checking up on me since. See if i don't stash up "Sweet Dream" - it's a crystal berry brandy. Good stuff." She sighed. "I could use a glass, to be honest... But my stash is back in my house. Tough luck.."

 

The mare looked up at the changeling. "Pretty crazy huh?

[Props Valroa 26,053]

Aquarius sighs. "Indeed... Honestly, I hate the concept of drinking and getting drunk. I never drank anything besides water and.... tea. As changelings we have a pond we get water from. Thats all we need and want. My father used to keep the hive a tight ship before his 2nd in command took over. This 2nd in command.... hes rather open about things.... and a few changelings have gotten drunk for days... how? I haven't got a clue." he responds.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@,

 

The mare shrugged. "I guess it's not what you could expect of me but.. yeah, that's just life I guess. If your Hive was turned into a theme park for outsiders who would want to change everything, I bet you'd look for a way to cope. I took something that reminds me of the good times.."

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne

 

"Imagine an isolated mountain. Just a single mountain. Far away from anypony else. Surrounding that mountain is a rainforest. There is a huge cavity inside this mountain, with sprawling tunnels that go beyond the forest and into other mountains. That is our hive, and next to it is a pond, a medium sized pond. Every morning we line up and take a drink from it. We don't really care if outsiders come, but if they change our lives for the better thats good, but if they want to sell their crappy pieces of plastic we kick them out." 

Edited February 16, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@,

 

Crystal giggled at the last remark. "Yeah... Seems with Equestrian ponies, you can't just have one without the other. If they smell bits in that mountain of yours, they'll come alright. But, truth be told, some of those new inventions are making life much easier, once I copy them into crystal so they won't aggravate my sense of aesthetics."

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Aquarius nods. "You have a point there. We could use some drilling equipment and stuff like that to expand the hive a bit and to make it look more appealing. After all the drama is sorted out with the princesses and your princess. I imagine us coexisting or something like that." he responds, thinking about how Chrysalis attacked Equestria for selfish needs. His father and the 2nd in command were never like that.

Edited February 16, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@,

 

 Crystal Clear thought for a moment, tapping her chin with a hoof. "Right... Drilling equipment is good, but they have a lot more to offer. If you have the coin. Like tis weird thing, electricit they call it. Duno how exactly it works but it powers lamps and all kinds of devices through cables. Pretty damn useful I guess. Amd I don't know if you guys get sick, but the modern medicine is like, waaaay better than when I was around last time. Some ponies even died after geting a serious cold back then..."

 

She inhale sharply and looked back at him with a gentle smile. "Buuuut I digress. Coexistene sounds good, although I'm not sure how you would find the love to eat without running afoul with the law and stuff. Ponies wouldn't appreciate if, for example, you took a mare for a weekend looking like her fiance. Something to think about, I guess."

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Aquarius nods. "Well that certainly does sound useful. Some of us have been thinking about synthetic love, liquid love or something like that so we worn't have to run afoul with the law and stuff. We have no clue how to do that, We will have to see what these reformed changelings look like. They don't sound.... attractive to me."

Edited February 18, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

 

The mare was nodding to the tempo of the song that was playing.  Apparently she liked it a lot. "Liquid love? Now that's something unheard of. I once tried synthetic juice. Threw it all into trash after one sip." She made a disgusted face, kinda funny actually. "The stuff was just sooooo awful like you wouldn't believe! I doubt love would taste good from a bottle."

 

Crystal Clear was still nodding to the music, and slightly tapping a hindleg I'm the air.  She looked at the changing inquisitively. "Have you ever been in love? In a pony,  changeling, whatever. I'm curious if changeling can feed off each other if they fall for each other, or you guys don't feel it?"

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

"Hmm... As for your Question... there are only male changelings. Some of us do go out to civilizations and go to try to fit into society and such but I don't really think its been heard of. We are capable of feeling love, because we are sort of different from the other types of changelings out there who feel none."

Edited February 18, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

 

The mare missed a beat and cussed under her breath, then looked back at him. "No girls? That's just... uhh... weird?" She hastily brought a hoof up. "Don't file me in on the intricacies of how you guys multiply okay?  I like sleep and don't need new nightmares, I have enough."

 

Somewhat frozen in the defensive pose, she sighed and facehoofed. "Crystal you insensitive jerk..." The mare ran a hoof down her face and looked apologetically at the changeling. "I'm sorry, sometimes I talk faster than I think."

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Aquarius sighs. "The thing is. We don't multiply. Which is why our hive is so small and isolationist. We need a Queen to lay eggs and stuff. Don't ask how. We don't want to kidnap a queen or anything like that. We want somepony who is willing. Somepony who is good at ruling and can do a better job than my father or the 2nd in command."

Edited February 18, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

Crystal Clear was expecting something volatile in reply, so she visibly relaxed from how suddenly tense she became. Head coked a bit, she fought an urge to ask, finally failing.

 

"So a Queen is not born a changeling, but rather... becomes one? Do I think correctly?"

 

Cutiosity was always one of her strongest traits.

Edited February 18, 2017 by Raven Rawne

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Aquarius sits down. "Well. We are able to transform ponies into changelings, but if they are female they can become Queen. But it requires alot of work. Full blood changelings can be hatched as kings or queens but its extremely rare. My father was one of them. After everything is sorted out with Cadence we would need to ask her to search for somepony who is willing and has enough skill." 

Edited February 18, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

 

The mare nodded, slowly. "Uh huh, so I guessed right, more or less.  Well I don't think the Crystal Princess would be that accommodating to make a casting for the changeling queen, but I guess she wouldn't oppose if a mare among her subjects was asked to be your queen. Still, I bet finding a suitable candidate would be a huge pain in the flank for you guys. Some ponies will just jump in for the title and renown, and even lie and cheat to get it. Such are the times,  I guess... Or it was aksays like that but I just fail to accept it."

 

She leaned to the changeling. "If U were you, I wouldn't mention the eggs part until she seems like a good candidate and already says she's interested."

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Aquarius nods. "Makes sense. This is going to be hard.... perhaps the 2nd in command could meet with the Crystal Princess. And discuss things better than I can. Once I get back to the hive and tell him. We just call him the 2nd in command. His real name is Amorphous. Hes an Okay leader I guess but we need somepony that is better." 

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

 

Crystal nodded. "Keep in mind that, basically,  you'll ask a mare to abandon her life, her family and friends. Pretty much everything she knows a d loves for a throne in a far away place.  And she will become somepony different too. Don't expect a legion of serious candidates."

 

The mare hopped off her bed and stretched her back.  Then proceeded to check the view from every window, looking out carefully. Seemingly satisfied with the result she went to her abandoned saddlebags and pulled them by the table. "Could you make room on the table?  I need to catalogue my findings."

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

He sighs and makes some room on the table. "Now that you put it that way, thats kind of sad, but if somepony does happen to want to do it, we will teach her the ways of ruling and all that. There could be another way... we could try to increase our chances of creating a queen but thats going to be hard and long." 

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

 

Crystal Clear waited till he made room, then opened her saddlebags and pulled out a few crystals.  Then she went to the large chest. "It is sad, but I thought it's important for you to know the other side's viewpoint too. The ones that jump in without any doubts... just scratch them off at the first stage. They'll be no good and probably go bonkers soon after coronation, so to speak." She looked over her shoulder. "I need to open this thing, but Guild rules dictate that only members van know how to open these chests. So I need to ask you to look the other way and wait till I say I'm done,  okay?"

 

She waited till her guest was turned the other way,  and unlocked the chest. She took some items and closed it again. "Done, you can look now."

 

She was coming back to the table with a tray of tools, and two hefty notebooks. Everything aside from pages was made of colorful crystal.  The mare laid her tools on the table and opened one notebook.

 

"So how are you going to make a queen if there are no new births in the Hive?"

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

He did as she asked. "Yeah.... We might ask the other hives to see if they want to help but thats extremely unlikely with how territorial they are and how violent they can be. Since changelings are males, we could try to integrate into society and after a while... have love... and maybe somepony will birth a Queen but she will be a halfling like I am..."

Edited February 18, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

The crystal mare wrote something in the notebook, then took the first crystal - it was ice blue and looked like it was mudded inside.  She set it in a small claw like pedestal that was on the tray.

 

"I assume halflings are less powerful than full changelings?"

 

The mare took a glow-crystal and placed it do she would look at it through the one she was examining.  Apparently unsatisfied, she wrote in the notebook. 

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Aquarius nods. "They are also generally ineffective at shape shifting and can only keep their forms for a certain amount of time or they drain their love energy and die. Their manes also tend to have less holes.... and is more pony like." he says to Crystal Clear. 

Edited February 18, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

 

She started measuring the crystal 's diameters and wrote them down.  "Sounds like you alright.  So unless a Queen would sit on her plot in the Hive, a halfling Queen would be a burden to keep, am I thinking correct? Tough life you have, all those limitations... Now us there anything you could offer the theoretical mare for giving up everything? Aside from power and a legion of offspring?"

[Props Valroa 26,053]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

"Indeed you are. Its not really a limitation for me, since I was born with it and used to it but I do envy full changelings somewhat. Well we could try to move the hive closer to civilization so the mare can see her friends and family and all that again but thats going to be hard for sure." 

Edited February 18, 2017 by NightMare Star.

[Raven Rawne 1,374]

@

 

"I guess that would be a huge risk,  move to a new place. Besides, every hoof of land in Equestria has an owner. Maybe aside from unusable parts like here."

 

She took a small fork like tool. "Quiet now." She struck gently against the tested crystal and it made a false note. Crystal Clear frowned and set the tool back to it's spot. "Not good... Anyway, back to your topic. See, there's a teensy little problem with letting the Queen see her family.  If I think correctly, she will look more or less like a changeling?  Her iaeents and friends may not be very accepting if her new role, or new look. And many mares care about being seen as attractive. So sometimes it's better to cut the ties and be sad once rather than pierce your heart with every get together."