IMPERIUM INSECTUM

The warm darkness wrapped my body once again. This place feels familiar. I know I've definitely been here before, but when? I  twisted my body to the side and got more comfortable. Whatever this place is, it doesn’t matter; all that does matter is that it’s safe and warm. I twisted my body to the side again. However, if I had to make one complaint, it is that it is pretty cramped in here. No matter how much I move and twist my body, I..just.. can't….. seem to get COMFORTABLE!

*Crack!*

What was that? I looked around the darkness and noticed light streaming in from the bottom. Light?...... Why does this feel so familiar? Have I been here before? I shook my head. It doesn’t matter. Let's just focus on whatever this is. I prodded the light again with my foot, and the stream got bigger. Is it a crack? If it is, then that means there is a world outside this dark place. If so, then I must know what's on the other side! I pulled my foot back, and I kicked it again, causing the stream to double in size. I kicked it again and again and watched as the stream got bigger and bigger until 

*CRACK!!!*

A Loud, thunderous crack filled my eardrums, And the familiar, comforting darkness disappeared.

<AGHHHHAAAAA! WHAT THE HELL! IT’S TOO BRIGHT!> My eyes burned at this sudden invasion of light. I tried to look around but my eyes struggled to adjust to the brightness.

<Just where the hell AM IIIIIIIIAGHHHHAAA>I screamed as My brain throbbed and ached as what felt like years' worth of information was shoved straight into it with no mercy.

<AGHHHHHHAAAAAA I REMEMBER! Apollinaris, Sally, Andre, the ashdowns! ALL OF IT! I REMEMBER.>

I screamed some more as the pain kept increasing, almost splitting my head in two as what felt like two lives were being shoved into my brain.

<AGHHHHAAA! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!>  I yelled as my hands wrapped around my head to try and thwart the pain.

 

The pain suddenly hit a plateau and started to back down as soon as the stupid box appeared. Why is it so fucking painful? Curse you, Sys! I slowly opened my eyes again. They were still a bit blurry, but I think I could make out the ceiling. I looked around my sides and noticed I was surrounded by a pale yellow wall

<I remember this. I am back in an egg>  I reached up with all of my arms and grabbed the edges of the shell, and in one smooth move, I pulled myself until I was standing inside the giant egg

<Eugh, I feel awful.> That move had sent waves of nausea up my body. My head was still throbbing from earlier, but thankfully, it was becoming more manageable. I looked around the room. It was completely desolate, with no signs that anyone had lived there. Good, she took my advice.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

My head snapped to the door. Who is it? An enemy? My pincers quietly sprung out of my back. I’ve only just evolved, and somebody is already coming to kill me? I guess there is no rest for the wicked.

*knock* *knock* *knock* <Mother? We’ve sensed you’ve awoken. Can we come in?>

Those voices….. It’s the nurses. My pincers slipped back into my body as my body relaxed. I guess im still a little on edge after those fights

<You can come in>

2 nurses burst into the room and immediately rushed to my side.

<hold her left side whilst I hold the right. We need to get Mother something to eat fast.>

<What? Can you guys relax? I’m fine. I'm not hung->

*Grrrrrrrrrr*

A loud rumble from my stomach suggested otherwise. Curse you body! Why do you betray me like this!? One of the nurses grabbed the front of the egg and, with one pull, broke it into pieces, allowing me to get out.

<You really don’t need to do this. I can easily climb ou->

<Mother, please! We must make sure you are fed and healthy; we will support you all the way to the kitchen.> Before I could even think of arguing back, the nurses had me by the sides and were dragging me to the kitchen. Aren’t I the one who’s supposed to be in charge here?

<Mother, down the stairs and be careful.>

<I know where the kitchen is…> I let out an internal sigh. Let's just play along with them. Clearly, They’ve been anticipating this moment for a while and are very excited. I looked around the mansion and noticed that a lot of the rubble had been cleared away. Had Sally started the repairs whilst I was gone?

<Has Sally started cleaning already?>

<Yes, mother. The man Andre came a few days ago. He wanted to speak to you, but you were evolving. I think Sally spoke with him to get the repairs started. There are usually a lot more humans around the mansios>

<what?!>

<Mother, please relax! Stress is not good for you after you’ve just evolved. It’s fine. We were hiding in the basement whilst Sally stayed up here and guarded your door. She gave them the order that no humans are allowed to be here on this day.>

I nodded. So they really did sort themselves whilst I was gone, huh

<This way.>

I was swiftly taken down the stairs and moved into the kitchen, where a whole platter of food came from.

<is this the whole pantry! Where did all the food come from?>

<Sally organised it. Mother, please eat! If you don’t eat soon, you won't be healthy.>

<I think you're both overreacting im->

*GRRRRRR*

Dammit! I growled as I took a seat at the table. Let's just get this over with already. I reached over to grab some food when something very concerning met my eyes

<How long have I had these.>

<Mother? Are you okay? Do you nee->

<I need a mirror NOW!> I yelled to the nurses.

<But mothe…>

<ill eat the damn food. JUST GET ME A MIRROR>  The nurses instantly bolted out of the room, leaving me alone. I Looked down, and there they were 2, extra arms by my side, acting completely indifferent, like they were always there

<This….How did I not notice something like this?> I raised both arms on my left side, and they both moved in tandem. I did the same to my right.

<This….. Can I… move them independently?> I Looked ahead of me, and there were 2 small pieces of meat beside each other. I raised the arms on the arms on the right and moved them toward the meat. As they got closer, the arm underneath peeled off slightly to the right and grabbed the other piece of meat.

<This is…?> I don’t know. It feels weird and normal at the same time. How is that possible? I need to practice a bit more. I put the meat down and played a bit more, crossing my arms apart and moving them all in separate directions. Is this really what the original body Cindi had for me was like? No wonder she kept it away.

<Mother, it's here!>

I looked over, and they had brought a full-body mirror for me to use.  <Thank you> I said as I walked over, and boy, was I in for a shock.

<woahhhhhhh> I awed. My body was so different! I still had the same yellow and green colour scheme, but the armour plates were completely different, especially around my stomach, where before, there were a bunch of overlapping plates that made the armour. Now, it was a complex mesh of hexagon plates that were segmented around my stomach with this weird stretchy membrane between them. All in all, this redesign of the armour made me feel more flexible and faster.

 I moved my Gaze up towards my head, where I noticed 4 black holes at the top of my head, Just above where my eyebrows would be if I had any. 2 of the holes were slightly bigger than the other. Just what are they? I got closer to the mirror and noticed a weird shimmering in them.

< They're not holes! They're eyes!> I have 4 more eyes! Why on earth would I need more?! Is it tied to a new ability? I shook my head. We’ll check later. I looked around for any changes, and Besides the new sets of eyes, nothing had changed face-wise. It was still very angular and very alien-looking. And my teeth were still so sharp and jagged that they could put a shark to shame. I was kind of hoping that maybe my face woul-

<What is that?>

<What is what mother?>

<That! That thing drifting behind my back.>

<Mother. That’s your tail.>

My eyes bulged as I turned around, and there it was in all its long curvey glory. The tail curved around and to the front of my body like it was saying hello. The tail itself was dark green, almost black in colour. It was made of several interlocking segments that moved fluidly together, allowing it to move quite easily and responsively. The tail was long too, incredibly long if I had to guess, almost 8 to 10 feet. I put my finger on the tail and followed up to the tip, where there was a black, no-obsidian blade that reflected in the light. This tail isn't just for looks. It’s a weapon. Plain and simple.

<Mother. The food.>

<I know, I know. Let me just admire myself some more.>

I pulled my tail away and kept moving, looking down until I reached where my vagina was. It was no longer just exposed to the world for everyone to see. There was now this sheath of chitin that covered it, and oddly enough, I  could open and close it at will. Now that I think about it, having it exposed to the world like that was a glaring weak spot.

<hahah, I look like a naked Barbie doll with it closed>

My Gaze drifted to my feet, where I noticed my legs were bent slightly backwards. Not too much, but enough to be noticeable. So I have hind legs now. I reached down and felt my leg muscles. They were dense now. So incredibly dense. This could only mean one thing. I am a lot faster now. I looked down towards my toes and noticed that my feet now had claws, making them match my hands—all in all. If I didn’t look human before, I sure as shit didn’t now. This honestly is a bit much, I wonder. Will Apollinaris even like this new me? Doubt started to fill me. Let's not think about that now. I took a step away from the mirror and headed towards the table.

<Thank you. That is all.>

*Grrrrrr*

I guess I can't keep ignoring it forever, can i. I sat down and started devouring the food. This was an amazing spread that Sally made for me. Where did she find the time to get all this stuff?

<Mmmmphhhhh showwww gooooood>

<Mother…. Talking whilst eating>

I looked towards the nurse and stuck my tongue out of her. I can't help it. It's so good. It was everything I liked, and by that, I mean it was meat, meat and even more meat. Some of the meat I recognised as beef, lamb and chicken, but some I had never seen before.

< whatever it is. It’s Bloody and raw. Just how I like it.> My teeth tore into another piece of meat and devoured it instantly. As I ate, I felt my body react to the food; warmth resonated from my stomach to my back. In circular pattern.

<Mmmmmmmm What's happening? Should I stop?>

<NO! Keep going! It's important.>

I reached forward and kept stuffing my face. The pile of meat had shrunk to at least half the size now. I should be full now. But I'm not. Why? The warmth came in waves, washing over my body and collecting in my back. More and more warmth went to my back as I continued to eat. I looked over to my nurses, but they kept on encouraging me. Is this meant to happen? My 4 arms were like machines as they shoved more and more food into my face, and in no time, the food was finished.

<Eughhhh. This heat> I tried to stand up, but my head felt woozy.

<Mother, please relax. The process will be soon finished.>

<The process for whAAAAAAAAAAA> I Yellped as all the heat shot to my back in one move. My legs gave out. I would have landed on the floor, but the nurses were there to hold me up. Soon, a loud cracking could be heard coming from my back, like someone was breaking 100’s of eggs at the same time

<W….what is thaAAAAAAAA>

The sound got louder and more painful with each second until-

*CRAAAACKKK*

*FWOOSH*

A mighty gust of wind blew the nurses and anything that wasn’t stuck down away from me.

 

The Whooshing continued slowly and more subdued. I didn't need a mirror to see what had just sprouted from my back.

<They’re beautiful, Mother> One of the nurses said as they slowly got up. I quickly rushed to his side and helped him up.

<Did you know this would happen?>

<All I knew was that mother needed to feed.>

I glanced to the side, and there they were. 4 large translucent wings, 2 on each side. The wings had an ornate hexagonal pattern that went all along their length. The edges of the wings were dotted with fine hairs that fed my brain a tone of information about how fast the air was moving around me. The temperature, and so on. It was probably important but I just couldn’t get over just how pretty my wings were.

<They are so beautiful. It’s hard to believe they belong to me.>

<Mother.>

I snapped my head back to the nurse. <Apollinaris is waiting. I don’t think we can keep her busy any more>

My wings moved gracefully back and forth like feathers belonging to an angel. They were so.... pretty; I just can't get over it! My cheeks suddenly started to get warm. Am I blushing? No, I can’t, not me. I would nev-

<Mother!> My attention snapped back to the worker.

<Sorry. Let's go.>

I started walking to the door but stopped when I noticed a problem.

<My wings. They are too big they won't fit.>

<Mother, you are too tense. You need to relax.>

I took a deep breath. They're right. I am a bit tense. I guess this is a lot to take in. Cindy was right. This would have been way too much off the bat. I exhaled again, and suddenly, I felt my wings grow lax and neatly fold in on themselves, allowing me to fit through the door.

<Does it look like I’m wearing a cape.>

They nodded.

<Hahah. Though so.> I walked through the door, followed by my entourage of nurses. I wonder how she’ll react when she sees the new me?

5 minutes later….

<Were here> one of the nurses said,

It was probably a few minutes, but it felt like a few seconds. How can we be here already?

<Mother?>

<y…yes. Sorry, it's just this door is a lot bigger than I remember.>

<Mother. It will be fine. Apollinaris will love the new you.>

<Yeah…. Your right… I’m overthinking it.>

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

“Apollinaris, I’m ba-“

“DODGE!”  Sally roared as she swung her blade towards Apollinaris, who instantly created a stone wall in front of her.

“HAHA GOOD! BUT WHAT'S YOUR NEXT PLAN?” Sally quickly and easily swung her arm blade in a cross pattern in front of her and then, with the speed of a bullet, swung her foot into the wall, sending debris and dust shooting forward. Apollinaris was stunned by this move, and Sally noticed. Her blade swung back.

“No” My body took off faster than I could think. She’s going for the killing blow. I have to stop. her. I must. I cant-

<CEASE THIS IMMEDIATELY>  My voice echoed out around me like a wave. Instantly, Sally dropped to her knees.

<AHHH MOTHER I’M>

<How dare you! After all, I've given you,! Y…YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THIS!>

My tail smacked into the ground, causing a large gash to appear. This girl, Too think now of all times she would choose to show her true colours

<Mother! I'm sorry! But- AGHH>

My tail had shot and wrapped itself around her neck.

<BUT NOTHING!> I bit back.

<There is no excuse for what you tried to do! Now be quiet! And be grateful that I at least plan to make this quick.>

My tail coiled tighter around her neck. This insolent, disrespectful girl. I’ll kill her! I’ll crush her neck. How dare she try to hurt whats mi-“

“Diva, stop”

My body froze. I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around me from behind.

“It's not her fault. I asked her to do it.”

What? She asked for this? Why… why would she ask to be….. Nothing makes sense here. Apollinaris wrapped her arms tighter and pressed her body into my back, sending a soothing, pleasant warmth into my body. Was she always this warm? I felt My tail relax, and soon Sally dropped to the ground.

“Thank you. I like your wings. They suit you. Also, you’ve gotten taller, haven’t you.”

Her arms slowly unhooked from each other and moved up towards my arms. Before I knew it, she had twisted me around, so I was facing her.

“Wow. You look different.”

“Do you like it?”

“Diva. Of course, I do. No matter how much you change. I will always love you. Even if you turn even more into a monster, I'll still be with you. So don’t worry about things like this, okay.”

“Thank you.”

<Mother.>

I turned around and was met with Sally. She was visibly shaken. Too afraid to even look at me.

<I...I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again. Please don’t hate me. Please don’t disappear aga->

I instantly pulled her into a hug. <Don’t apologise. It was my fault.> I hugged her tight. Dammit. I should be careful next time.

<Mom…Don’t….>

<Shhh. Don’t. It was all me. I hope you can forgive me.>

Tears started to well up in her eyes. <okay……I forgive you. Please don’t leave, okay?> I pulled her in tight. Sometimes, I forget just how broken this one is. I'll have to reward her doubly for what she has done. We hugged for a while before she eventually let go.

<Do you feel better?> I asked. She nodded earnestly as she took a step back.

<Good. Now, take the rest of the day off and have a break. You’ve worked hard the past few days. Go rest.>

She nodded one more time, turned, and walked away. Leaving me and Apollinaris alone.

“You can be caring at times.”

“Only to those that are close to me.” I walked up to her again and gave her a hug, “I’m happy you're safe. But please tell me why you asked Sally to do that?”

“Is it important why?”

I nodded. “I might be able to help.”

She looked at me and let out a long sigh. “I don’t think you could help with this, but the reason why is……. That I’m tired of feeling useless.” She slowly sat down on the cool floor.

<Leave us please> I said to the nurses, who swiftly left the room. I moved over to the side of her and sat down.

“You're not useless though, Apollinaris. You do what you can, and that’s enough. besides, you’ve given so much to this family. You don’t need to worry about-”

“It's not enough! Diva! You do everything; you provide money, food, and shelter. When I was in danger, you came to help TWICE! Hell, when I was almost dead, you saved my life! But me? I've done nothing in comparison; I just sit around like a damsel in distress. If you and Sally weren't there that night, I would be dead or worse. I’m so….. useless! I’m tired of always being the victim! I want to be the one to save you for a change. I want to be the one who provides stuff. I want to provide something useful to this relationship. Not always to be the one who is taking!

Her face was visibly stirred with anger. Has she always felt like this? How did I not notice that she felt so… Inadequate…

“Apollinaris, I'm sorry. I didn’t mea-“

“It’s not your fault, don’t apologise. I wanted Sally to attack me so I could get better at fighting and at least be able to defend myself. Maybe If I become a good enough fighter, I could finally start giving something useful. But as soon as we started sparring, I knew that wouldn't be possible. Every time we fought, she easily beat me with no trouble” Tears started to bead up in her eyes.

“I’m so sick of this! This feeling of constant inadequacy. I’m tired of feeling like dead weight.”

I Pulled her in close and let her cry into my chest. Dammit, what do I do? How can I fix this? Think diva, think! I looked around the training room's blank walls for answers, but nothing came. Is there really nothing that I can say or do….Nothing at all? I looked around again and down towards my body, where it finally hit me!

“Then I'll leave it all to you.”

“*sniff* W…what?” She said with her nose still sniffily.

“I'll leave all of this to you. The house, the “business” with Titus and Andre, all of it.”

“Really… Why would you? Diva, are you sure?”

I nodded. “Look at me, Apollinaris I can't really pass as human any more, can i? If I try to go out there, I'll be captured or worse. Because of that, I think I need to return back to the forest; however, for me to be able to do that I'll need someone to watch and take-over here.”

She nodded. “Do you think I can do it? I could barely hold my own against-”

“I don’t thin,  I know you can do it. However, don’t think I'll drop you into the deep end without a little bit of help. I think it's time for your long overdue conversion.”

Apollinaris looked up at me with a mix of fear and determination And smiled.

“I think it’s time as well.”