A story I've been slowly writing

One of these days I'll stop trying to write stories that are too grand in scope for my abilities, I swear. I always get a decent way into the first few chapters, and then just kinda stop. Recently I've written a smidgen more, but I figured I'd post the entirety of what I've got so far to see what people think, as opposed to releasing an incomplete story and letting down people who are expecting it to be fully completed in a timely manner. I do want to complete this one, of course, but I'm being realistic with myself. I've borrowed some characters and ideas from my previous stories (namely, Changing What Can't Be Changed). The story mostly focuses on an AU Chrysalis post-banishment where she wasn't turned into a statue, but also features an "origin story" for her of sorts, as well as two Changelings who are attempting to stage a coup over her leadership.

So, without further adieu...here's the description and chapters 1-3:

---

Metamorphosis

Chrysalis is banished and forced to travel far beyond Equestria, hoping to find somewhere to put down new roots. But when she comes across a hidden kingdom sealed off from the world, her entire worldview gets put into flux.

---

Chapter One - The Barren Waste

Her hooves trudged through mud, rain sliding downward as she felt strain ache through her forelegs with every step.

Chrysalis turned her gaze upward toward the moonlit sky, eyeing storm clouds rolling ominously above while it rained lightly around them. The air was cold and moist: a miserable aura of dampness that enveloped them as they continued forth amidst the downpour. It had been several days since she and her most loyal followers had been banished from Equestria. And this time was different, Chrysalis had slowly been realizing. Even the outlying city-states beyond Equestria's borders had increased their military presence, and had been given orders from the Royal Guard to attack on sight. It had appeared, finally, that she could no longer count on extorting their propensity for empathy to get what she wanted. In the past she could always have returned to the hive, but with Thorax and others greatly outnumbering her own troop, she had no such choice.

Whatever chance she had of gaining the upper hoof by manipulating their hope or pity, it was finally gone for good. So instead she wandered the barren wastes, hoping to find somewhere new to call home.

Stopping for a moment, Chrysalis looked over her shoulder, casting a watchful eye on what remained of her followers. Only a few loyal soldiers marched behind her, looking weak and destitute in the downpour of rain falling from above. She wondered why they still chose to follow her, even now in her most pitiful state of defeat. There was no hope of her earning back her reign. Not for a while, at least. She needed much more time to regain her strength and hatch a new plan. But it still made no sense. They were aware of Thorax and the stories told by changelings who had been converted to his side, and her explanation of them having been brainwashed into friendship hardly felt convincing, even to herself. Why were these changelings still willing to follow her?

"Queen Chrysalis," said the one directly behind her, his legs shaking, "when can we make camp for the night? I'm not sure how much longer I can keep my hooves on the ground," he said as a flash of lightning briefly illuminated their surroundings.

She observed the skies once more, listening to the rumbled sounds of thunder in the distance. There was no indication that the storm would cease anytime soon. The landscape surrounding them was mostly rocky with a few patches of grass and dirt here and there, but nothing that would give them any sort of shelter from these harsh conditions. As she continued observing, part of her even wondered if all would survive to the morning if she chose to settle out in the open for the night.

She shifted her gaze to the horizon and a distant mountain range caught her eye. It would be a long trek, but there would almost certainly be caves that they could use to take shelter; possibly even settle down in. She'd been longing for a dwelling like her hive for quite some time now. Perhaps it could even be the end to this arduous journey.

Her mind was settled. "We will make camp in those mountains," she gestured, rain dripping from her hoof.

The changeling squinted at the horizon, then groaned at the prospect of walking for a few more hours.

Chrysalis turned around toward him, listening to the raindrops pitter-patter bluntly against the mud as he stood weakly before her. The few behind him looked downward with uncertainty about their queen's potential course of action.

"I'm sorry," he said, expecting punishment.

An unfamiliar feeling surfaced in her mind as a thought occurred to her: this changeling would not benefit from punishment for expressing weakness. And neither would making an example of him help the others. Perhaps with an actual army it would, but not now.

She paused for a moment, carefully considering what to do.

Ignoring his words, Chrysalis kneeled downward toward him, her hooves digging into the mud. As the others watched with surprise, her jagged horn began to glow a bright green color. The changeling braced himself as an aura of magic emanated from her horn, swirling into the air toward him as tendrils of energy. The changeling closed his eyes, fearing what was about to come, but those behind watched in awe after they realized what kind of magic their queen was performing.

The queen hardly ever chose to bestow essence on her followers. That had only been reserved for extremely dire situations, as it had been determined long ago that it bared far too much resemblance to acts of generosity. It was also much simpler and more efficient to simply drain the energy from other living creatures, rather than distribute it between each other. But without any creatures around, this was the only alternative. And Chrysalis needed every last follower she still had.

Immediately, feeling the energy fill his body with vigor, the changeling's legs stopped wavering and he was able to stand strong. Too stunned to speak, he waited for her to say something, as did the rest of her troop, mouths agape in the rain as the aura of magic in the air dissipated.

Chrysalis, out of breath, used all of her strength to return to her hooves, staring blankly at them for a moment. She could only imagine what they were thinking; how pitifully terrible a leader she was to have gotten them into such a dire situation in the first place; how weak and vulnerable she must be in this moment. Her life had been a long string of elaborate plots and catastrophic failures. Surely they were aware of that. And now she stood weakly before them, dripping wet in the rain and mud.

Lightning flashed and thunder followed as rain continued to fall steadily. They awaited her voice, but she said nothing. She simply turned around, not allowing her weakness to be on full display. She couldn't. Not now, when it wasn't clear how much longer her troop could last. If they saw how truly weak she was in this moment, she feared she may lose their trust.

Or worse, their respect.

"Let us continue towards those mountains," she said raspily, slowly beginning to walk toward them. She lifted her hooves out of the mud and continued forward, feeling even more strain and aches through her entire body. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to last, either.

---

"We can't keep going like this. Our numbers are dwindling, and there simply isn't enough essence to go around."

"You don't know that. Maybe we can turn things back the other direction."

"With every transformation, we gain another leech and lose another of our own. To me the trends are clear."

"You shouldn't use that word. It's unfair to speak of them like that."

"I don't care. It's what they are, and what they do."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

"What some have been saying since this began: rid ourselves of the leeches and seal the perimeter. Save those of us who can still sustain each other."

"That's terrible."

"You're right, it is terrible. Perhaps if we had more time, another way could work. But we've waited too long, and now it's our only option. I am their king and I need to make the right decision, no matter the cost. It's what we must do."

"What will they do? Die?"

"They will do what is necessary, just as we will. It's the only way. If our kinds continue to live together, none of us will survive, my love. I couldn't bear to lose you."

"We are the same kind."

"Many would debate that."

"You're just being stubborn."

"Maybe I am, but at this point I'd rather be stubborn than dead. Or worse, lose you."

"Is there really no other way?"

"If there is, my queen, it is beyond me and everyone else, and we may have already wasted too much time trying to find it."

"I just don't like it. Nothing about this feels right."

"Change never feels right, yet it happens all the time."

---

Chapter Two - The Cave

By the time they had finally reached the mountains, the skies had turned completely dark.

As storm clouds still rolled above, Chrysalis led her troop into what seemed to be a fairly large cave situated just above the base of the mountain range. Thunder clapped and lightning struck behind them, briefly illuminating the rocky textures of the cave as they entered, and gradually diminished until the sounds of distant thunder were merely echoes behind them. Further inside, the air was still dank and wet with water condensing onto the cave walls, but the space opened up considerably into a large cavernous area, with stalagmites and stalactites dotting the edges along the walls.

Chrysalis stopped to assess. The permeating, musty smell of the cave felt almost like home to her. For far too long she'd been living as a nomad, yearning to hold her power in a land to call her own. But like her troop, she was exhausted, and needed rest. She eyed them briefly, taking notice of how eager they seemed to want to stop. Some looked as if they could not take another step. She surveyed the ground for a place to lay down against the wall, and the rest followed by getting situated on the opposite side.

This would be their home for the night.

Curled up between the cave wall and a stalagmite, Chrysalis allowed her eyes to rest for a few minutes before opening them again to survey her troop as they situated themselves. Most were idling silently, laying down from complete exhaustion on the cave floor. Some appeared to be having difficulty sleeping, but thankfully they were at least able to get away from the wet and the cold.

One changeling had remained awake, however, to stand guard at the mouth of the cave. Chrysalis was surprised. She hadn't told them to institute a guard rotation throughout the night. Apparently, even being absolutely exhausted hadn't cause them to waver in their loyalty. For a brief moment she felt better about their current situation and her worries about their wavering trust. As she watched the changeling stand guard, the desire to help she'd experienced earlier resurfaced once more. She summoned the strength to return to her hooves, feeling her muscles ache once more, and made her way to the changeling standing guard by the mouth of the cave.

"Rest," she said softly as she approached from behind, almost motherly-like. The changeling looked at her with a confused and tired look on his face, but one that quickly turned toward gratitude and relief. Chrysalis nodded, making eye contact for a brief moment, and he returned to the others without saying a word.

Chrysalis listened to the rain fall from for a few moments as the changeling returned to the group. She watched as they lay silently among each other, staying close to keep warm in the cold evening air. The sight of their camaraderie calmed her, and made her feel more like the leader she was trying to be. Her thoughts quickly dwindled, however, as the soft roars of thunder and persistent rainfall began lulling her to sleep. After several minutes, she returned to her place in the cave and rested her eyes for good. For now, all was okay.

---

Later, in the dead of night, a changeling was awoken by a sharp pang on his side.

"Wake up," someone whispered from beside him.

The changeling opened his eyes lazily, blinking them to bring his view into focus. "Tarsus, is that you?" He asked groggily.

"Yeah it's me, you idiot. Get up off the floor, Poison Fang. Preferably before someone sees us."

"What's going on?" Poison Fang yawned, getting up onto his hooves. His muscles somehow felt even worse than the evening before.

"Just follow me, I'll tell you in a minute."

"Fine," he said as Tarsus began leading him toward the mouth of the cave. "You didn't have to stab me in the side though."

"It's not my fault I've got a mean horn," Tarsus replied, a hint of pride in his voice. After getting out of potential earshot from the others, he continued. "Look, I'm just going to lay it all out in the open. I'm thinking of ditchin'. You in?"

"What?" Poison Fang replied.

Tarsus immediately shushed him. "Keep your voice down. They'll hear us."

"What do you mean by ditching, exactly?" Poison Fang whispered.

"I'm saying I'm going solo. I'm leaving the troop."

"Why? Wait...are you thinking of--"

"No, I'm not joining that loser."

"If you're not joining Thorax, then what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to forge my own path; make my own way. It's obvious the queen is blindly leading us nowhere. Can't you see what's happening? She's failed us."

"But you won't survive alone. And the queen has always provided for us. What you're talking is...treason," he said the word reluctantly, as if merely uttering it was an immoral act.

"The queen provides only when it ultimately benefits her," Tarsus whispered, the anger in his voice coming through regardless.

"But...she provided for me, just last night," said Poison Fang. "She took my position as guard. And she gave part of her energy to one of us yesterday."

"I don't care," Tarsus dismissed, "I've made up my mind. You're free to join me if you wish."

"Tarsus," he replied with a sigh, "even if we both ventured out on our own, we wouldn't survive. There isn't any life around these barren wastes. And more importantly, no essence to drain."

"I know," Tarsus replied. "I've thought this through. There's a way we can get out."

Poison Fang shook his head. "We can't survive the journey back, Tarsus. It doesn't add up."

Tarsus looked at him in the eyes. "It adds up if we drain the queen."

"What?"

"Shh!"

"You can't be serious. That's...that's...mutiny. That's crazy talk."

"You're right. But it's necessary."

"No. It can't be. It won't be," Poison Fang replied, poising himself for defense.

"If you think you can take me, you've got a whole lot of hurt coming. And I'm not going to let you stand in my way," Tarsus replied, looking away for a few moments. "I'm only telling you this because you're my friend," he added hesitantly.

Poison Fang loosened his stance. "Your...friend?"

Tarsus rolled his eyes and sighed. "The point is -- if you want to survive, your best bet is with me, not that self-absorbed, power-crazed maniac. Do you really think she has your best interests at heart?"

Poison Fang looked back into the cave. Chrysalis and a small handful of changelings were all that remained of their once great army. They were cold, wet, tired, and there was no telling of how much longer it would last. He looked back to Tarsus, taking a few moments to collect his thoughts.

"Even if I did agree to go with you, how do you think you'll be able to drain the queen?"

"The queen is weak," Tarsus replied. "With our magic combined, we should be able to overpower her. And if worse comes to worst, we've got these..."

Tarsus bared his fangs, slivers of moonlight lining them in the darkness.

"How do you know that is possible?"

"I don't know for sure. But what I do know is that if she finds a way to recoup her energy, there's no chance it will be. We need to act now, or we'll be stuck stringing along behind her feeding off scraps for the rest of our lives." Tarsus calmed his voice. "Look I know it's crazy, but I've thought this through. It's the only way to escape. If we don't do something soon, we might never have an opportunity again. It's now or it's never. You can choose now with me, or join the rest of that poor lot."

Poison Fang looked back to the troop and their queen. What had once been an army hundreds strong was now just a loyal few who didn't defect or scatter off on their own. At least those who scattered were free to forge their own path, instead of blindly hoping their queen would eventually save them. He was tired of hoping.

"I'm in."

---

"The streets of Alveare are barren and dangerous, my love. I simply cannot allow you to brave them on your own. Not with those leeches lurking in the shadows at every turn."

"I don't know what we expected. Our citizens have been succumbing even more since the order to evacuate those who became infected. Your iron hoof merely forced them to squeeze into every nook and cranny to escape an uncertain fate."

"Everything will be alright, my queen. We have enough love to last an eternity."

"Love only sustains the spirit. And spirit alone cannot nourish the hungry belly of our daughter."

"We would have plenty of nourishment if we didn't open up the reserves for our citizens to pillage and plunder."

"And if we did not do such a thing, we would have no citizens left to feed."

"Perhaps so."

"Some king you are."

"I know you're angry at me, and I'm sorry. This has been difficult for all of us, and I've been trying to make the right decisions all along the way. You have to trust that I am trying."

"I do trust you, but I need you to trust me now. The kingdom is in turmoil and we need to leave to find food for our daughter."

"You know we can't do that. If the King of Alveare succumbs to this terrible plague, all will be lost."

"I know. That's why I will go, and you will stay."

"Please, you can't. We just need to wait until the leeches have nothing more to drain. Only then we will be able to recover and recoup. Every one of us that becomes drained only lengthens how long we must wait."

"Don't call them that."

"Even now, when they have overrun my streets? The time for politics has been long foregone."

"I'm going to leave and find food for our daughter. Please, just take care of her while I'm gone. I promise I'll be back as soon as possible."

"I'm sorry, please don't leave. I don't want to lose you."

"Take care of her. I'll be back. I promise."

---

Chapter Three - The Darkness

They began trekking further the next morning, when the rising sun began shining through the mouth of the cave.

It wasn't long until the darkness had completely enveloped them, however. Carefully leading her troops downward, Chrysalis walked deeper into the cave, hoping to eventually find a more suitable place or another way out. But the cave quickly became tighter and more claustrophobic, constricting around them from every direction. Living in the hive, this was something they were all used to, and their ability to see in complete darkness helped with navigation, but the eerie atmosphere had them all on edge. Including Chrysalis. At first, she had started to wonder if the cave would ultimately lead in a dead-end, but after several hours of plunging deeper and deeper into the abyss, she was starting to worry it would go on forever.

Their path started to become difficult to traverse, and she also began wondering if they would be able to get back out. The air around them was becoming dry and stagnant, and starting to make her feel sick. Chrysalis glanced behind backward to check on her troop. They looked well-rested, but it was hard to gauge their emotional state using only darkvision. She wondered what they were thinking, now that they'd had a proper rest and a change of scenery. But all she saw were blank faces.

Just then, a noise reverberated through the cave from somewhere in front of them.

"What was that?" A changeling said.

Shortly afterward, a flurry of bats rushed in and around them in the darkness, causing a panic. The sounds of chirps and hooves clamoring upon rocks echoed off the tunnel walls for several seconds until the bats moved past them, leaving them in an anxious state.

"Whew," said the same changeling. "I'm glad they're gone."

Chrysalis' blood boiled. "You're glad they're gone? Glad? That was the first source of essence we've come across in days!"

The changeling struggled for words, inching backwards toward the wall as Chrysalis stormed in front of him. That swarm of bats was her chance to raise morale, and she blew it.

"I should drain you right now. Cull the herd, as they say," Chrysalis hissed.

The changeling dropped downward and against the cave wall, wincing.

"H-he was just scared," another changeling spoke up.

"Scared?" Chrysalis replied. "There's nothing scarier than me anywhere near here, so you should have nothing to fear. Do you fear me?"

"I..." the changeling's voice trailed, unsure what she wanted to hear.

She ignored him. "Get up," Chrysalis said to the first changeling.

"...What?"

"Get. Up."

The changeling returned to his hooves, shaking with fear as the others watched with uncertainty.

Chrysalis faced the rest of them. "We will not be fearing anything anymore. There will be more bats, and when we come across them we'll be ready. Right?"

"Yes my queen," her hive droned.

"Good," she replied dismissively, turning back around and continuing their march downward.

---

Tarsus and Poison Fang trailed behind the troop in the back, far enough to whisper without anyone hearing them.

"I can't believe we were too scared to drain those bats while they were here," said Poison Fang.

"We should be glad," said Tarsus. "This is what I was talking about. The queen is in her most vulnerable state right now, and as soon as she isn't, it might as well be over."

"Don't you think you might be over-exaggerating a little bit? If the queen regains her energy, she'll have more to share if times get tough again."

"That's the problem. Times are going to be tough forever. Time were tough even before we were banished and we had the hive."

"That's not true," Poison Fang replied, "at least then we could drain the essence of lesser creatures."

"Think of what you're saying," Tarsus replied slightly louder, quickly adjusting his voice back to a whisper. "You think going back to a life of feeding on scraps is desirable? We could be feasting every day if we found somewhere that had plenty of creatures and didn't have to share with hundreds of our own. The queen has us brainwashed."

"Assuming such a place exists," Poison Fang added. "The moment we set hoof near Equestria, we'll be goners."

Tarsus sighed in defeat. Perhaps Poison Fang was right to question his half-baked plan. The truth was that he was desperate more than anything else. "Alright, maybe. But that doesn't change what we need to do."

"How? We're marching through a dark, narrow cave, and somehow I don't think the rest of our troop is going to appreciate treasonous behavior against our queen."

"You're right," Tarsus replied. "But that little outburst might be exactly what we needed to sway them to our side."

"What do you mean?"

"The queen threatened to drain one of us. You think that's good for morale? I don't. Ruling with an iron hoof only works if the fear of punishment overshadows the fear of taking action."

Poison Fang looked at Tarsus with surprise. "How long have you been thinking about this stuff?"

"A long time," he replied. "Although I never thought I'd have waited and done nothing for as long as I have."

"So what should we do? Start telling the others--"

"No," Tarsus interrupted. "We need to find a way to make it happen organically. All it takes is one snitch, and we're done for. You've seen what the Queen does to anyone who acts out. It has to happen in a way that gives us the upper hoof. Besides, I think we can take her on our own, if worse comes to worst..."

Suddenly, Poison Fang realized just how difficult it must have been for Tarsus to tell him his plot. He was risking a lot more than just getting into a fight. If he went back to tell the queen of his plans now, he would be branded a hero. The Queen might even reward him.

He shelved those thoughts for the moment, making a mental note to return to them later.

"Well," said Poison Fang, "do you have an idea of what we should do?"

"I'm working on it."

---

The air was eerily silent aside from the sound of her own hoofsteps on the cobbled streets of Alveare. The hive kingdom, as it was known by its residents. Seeing it in such a state of disarray made her feel like all was lost for good. As queen and half of the ruling diarchy, it had been her duty to protect her citizens, and she had failed miserably.

Her thoughts wandered back to when they saw the first signs of infection. Without warning, a small number of citizens began transforming into terrible creatures. Snarling, dark beasts whose only intentions were to kill. At the start there were only stories, but very quickly it became all too real. It began with families, then neighborhoods, and finally entire districts. Panic struck across the kingdom, making the situation even worse. Citizens began fleeing and attacking each other over resources. She and the king worked with the Hive Guard in order to protect and provide for them, but it wasn't long until everyone was left to fend for themselves. Food reserves were plundered, and the remaining few guards had fled for their own safety.

She wished they had acted sooner. Now most of them had been transformed, although it was impossible to know how many. Right now, her priority was to find food for her daughter. The streets were empty, but the creatures could be lurking around any corner, and she had to focus on her immediate surroundings. She thought briefly about using her wings to fly. It would certainly make it easier to navigate her way through the city, but it would also make her an easy target if seen.

The city was split into two main areas: a top half above the ground where the commercial and cultural buildings were, and a bottom half beneath the surface where most of its citizens resided. Unfortunately, the bottom half had been taken over by those creatures, who had an apparent affinity toward dark and musty places. Going down there would be a suicide mission, so she stuck to the streets. The setting sun cast long shadows from the towering buildings around her. Each of them had been constructed from crystals excavated from below and combined with honey from the hive. In the setting sun, they looked like beautiful pillars of glass, but the remaining light only reminded her that she didn't have long until the creatures would be more inclined to come to the surface.

She continued onward toward the market district. The streets were littered with rubble and empty stalls. It was painfully obvious that it had been picked clean, so there was no point in scavenging out in the open. Instead, she entered into a residential building nearby. Inside, furniture was overturned and the air silent. But she looked through the kitchen anyway. As much as she hated the term, the leeches were not exactly thorough in their behavior. All that seemed to matter was infecting others, with food only being a secondary goal. Almost as if their survival depended on the former more than the latter.

Her mind returned briefly to her conversation with the king. So many of the kingdom had been referring to these creatures as leeches that at this point, any other word felt inaccurate. But part of her knew it wasn't fair. They didn't choose to change into what they'd become, after all. And if they could change in one way, perhaps they could change in others. She mused briefly until she knew what would be a better term to describe these new creatures: Changelings.

Suddenly, she heard a thump come from another room.

She shifted her ears instinctively, pinpointing where the noise had emanated. While silently moving towards it, she heard another thump. Part of her wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but the presence of another meant one thing was for certain: there was food here. If worse came to worst, she could likely fend off one or two of the creatures with her magic. But anymore than that, she wasn't so sure.

In any case, time was running out.

She continued forward through the room's entry. It was a child's room, filled with toys strewn across the floor and a small bed in the corner. She took a few steps forward, feeling the floor beneath her give way ever so slightly, resulting in an audible creak. Sounds of shuffling occurred beneath the bed as she tried to move toward the wall. But as soon as she did, the sounds stopped. After a few moments to catch her breath, she took two cautious steps forward.

She heard whimpering.

Craning her head downward, she looked under the bed. Beneath it was a small one, eyes wide with fear.

"Young one..." she said softly.

The child surged with fright, immediately leaving its hiding spot beneath the bed and hiding in another room. She thought about following, but the aching of her stomach reminded her why she was here.

"I'm sorry," she said aloud before returning to the main room. Inside a cupboard, she found a few morsels of food and took them before leaving.

A Queen who steals from her constituents. This is who I've become now, she thought to herself as she returned to the streets of Alveare. But this was what they were all becoming, she realized. It was becoming necessary for survival.

---

As the sun set below the horizon, she had surprisingly arrived back to the castle without any hassles. As she opened the door to the interior, however, she heard the familiar sound of her daughter crying.

"Hello?"

No one replied. She rushed toward the sound of her daughter's wailing, a sense of dread rapidly building before she opened up the door to her bedroom.

Inside her daughter was laying on a small bed, crying as a large black creature loomed above her, its fangs bared and eyes focused. Its head immediately snapped upward and looked directly into her eyes as she burst into the room, snarling.

"G-get away from her!" She said instinctively.

The creature's began glowing a dark green color. Moments later, wispy tendrils of magic emanated from its tip, seeping through the air towards her daughter. An aura of magic filled the space around her, enveloping her in a fog of darkness for several moments as the magic continued to flow from the creature's horn, muffling her cries in the process.

She ran forward, food tumbling downward as she tackled the creature onto the floor, forgetting that she was capable of more effective attacks using her magic. They grappled with each other for several seconds, tumbling beside the bed. The creature hissed and growled, trying to bite with its fangs and jab her with its horn. Its eyes were dark and green, and filled with rage, and she struggled to keep it pinned to the floor for several seconds until she got a good look at them. They were terrifyingly familiar. Her grip loosened briefly as it dawned on her that these were eyes she had gazed lovingly into for many, many years.

It was the king.

Noticing her lapse in focus, the creature that was her love pulled its hooves inward and kicked upward into her chest, sending her crashing into the wall behind them. A painting of her daughter fell downward to the floor next to her as she lay slumped against the wall, winded, watching as the creature returned to its hooves. It glanced briefly at her daughter, then turned the other direction and leapt through the window. Glass shattered and splintered everywhere, causing a deafening sound to fill the room for several seconds. When the sound stopped, however, she noticed the absence of her daughter's crying. Scrambling to her hooves while feeling her head pounding from the blow against the wall, she rushed to her daughter.

But when she looked down at her, she felt the sinking of her heart plunging deeply into sorrow. Her mind went blank, her eyes getting tunnel-vision as she stared into the eyes of her transformed daughter. All feeling in her body went numb for several moments before immediately rushing back. Her eyes welled with tears and anguish, her body convulsing with every pang of sadness that washed over her, sobbing uncontrollably over her daughter as she laid beneath her, skin dark and brittle, eyes green and wide.

A changeling.

The despair turned to fear as she realized she was no longer safe. She lifted her daughter into the air and wrapped her in the blanket, grabbing the food scattered across the floor on the way out. It was no longer safe in the kingdom, and she had to leave with her daughter.

Comments

[TheFlint44]

Haven't read yet, but I got a feeling this gonna be good.
I'm looking forward to it, keep on working (if that's okay).