Not a chapter, but I figure anything is better than nothing · 1:34am Jan 1st, 2018
So, yeah I have been kind of falling off my writing game and I sincerely apologize for that.
No real excuses, I just haven't had the energy to write before this past week, so I'll leave it at that.
That said, I've been working on it and I'm currently at 7.6k+ words.
And as proof:
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Chrysalis looked at the other changeling with not-so-hidden contempt. Her dark emerald eyes catching the gaze of black voids.
It was like looking in a mirror. From every curve, strand, hole, and even scar. Yet, the big difference would be in the color of “her” membrane and eyes.
Dark pools with matching blackened waterfalls replaced her normal ones.
“You again…” She spoke, her irritation obvious to her standing copy.
“Yes, ME.” The “Black” Chrysalis responded, a roll of her eyes. “I speak because ‘you’ are clearly working yourself up over such inconsequential things.”
“You’re clearly SOMETHING that has more screws loose than I thought. Can you not see what I see? Can you not feel what I feel? I need a plan for this!” she shouted at the mocking copy, who only shook “her” head nonchalantly.
“Clearly, I can’t, since you seem to be the only one kicking up a fuss over a simple obstacle.” “Black” Chrysalis turned “her” eyes towards the side.
Turning her own head in the direction, she saw mirror-like portal that replayed the last few moments. Her mind wondering how that, that, FALSE Emotion Copy could even retrieve such images in the first place.
Turning back, she locked gazes with the imitation, who smirked. Arrogance and aggression rolling off “her” in waves as its eyes flickered a darkish pink before returning to normal.
“Before you spend any more of that wonderous brain power of yours on how I got such images, just know that I simply used the thick magic in the air. Our “crown” makes turning such a thing into retinal images quite a simple task.” “she” droned, taking another look at its right, the playing images stopped on the image of the blonde causing Chrysalis problems.
Make no mistake, she could understand, ever so slightly, why the “main” would worry some.
HE was an unknown. They had all sorts of information on the other hives and, while what they knew of the Sapphire Hive should relate to this particular monarch in question, his abilities were unknown to them.
Well, not completely, what with Shining’s oh so delicious breakdown of what he knew of what they’d marked as the “Invasion Potentials”. That said, the captain might not know everything.
He hadn’t told them about this King’s specialty though she had a couple of guesses, considering she could see his tail in full view.
Simply put, he was unknown in all the ways that mattered. To Chrysalis, at least.
Eying his form, she also couldn’t help the slight tilt of her lip. He’d bare them great children. Children the like of which most Hives would never receive. Not if “she” had a say about it.
Focusing back on Chrysalis, she spoke of her concerns.
“Unknown he is, we still have a standard to hold him to. He’s strong, that much we can ascertain. He’s, very much likely, faster than Aurelia. Yet, he’s not physically stronger than Nympha. Nor is he as magically inclined as We are. He doesn’t see into the future as Cocoona does.
“He’s the biggest threat, but we have measures for most situations. His strength can be dealt with, his speed can be accounted for, and his abilities can be handled as time goes on.” its voice was like a feather as every drop of the word “his” was overlaid with a dreamy quality. “His “Adaptability” is related mostly to his Preference and I don’t see that King being magically inclined enough to use it with his average magic ability.”
She meant average by “monarch” standards but the statement remained the same. Changelings were inherently magic-using creatures, not unlike ponies just more “survival” orientated, so their pools were typically larger than other races.
Chrysalis was thinking over the copy’s explanation and couldn’t find any big holes in it. Yet, she still retained some of her caution as well as her irritation for her double, which was growing as the two existed in the same space.
Seeing Chrysalis’s look, her double’s eyes tinted light blue as her lips fell into a frown. Her expression turning dour, as she kicked at the floor. Having the mere gaul to look SAD.
“Fracture,” the copy’s voice rang out, a cacophony of numerous other voices speaking in, though the sad tone remained the most powerful. The next moment saw her eyes taking a slight yellow tint and becoming more and more twitchy.
Flickering back and forth like a tennis match before they settled on Chrysalis herself.
“So many voices!” shaky clawed fingers grabbed the sides of the copy’s head, as she let out shivering breaths. “But, I have to keep them all! What if they get out?! What if they get in the way of my hive’s survival?!”
Chrysalis found herself unnerved as she took a step back from her shouting doppelganger. For more than one reason, she looked away from it and grabbed her elbows with her hands.
Of course, she knew what she did was a bad idea.
There were rules to being a changeling. Things that are set in place by none other than her own mother. Yet, there was one that was always supposed to be allowed above all else.
Never, NEVER, feed outside of your hive’s set Preference.
If there was any rule to be followed by all, it was this one. Her mother had told them, her and her sisters, of times when she’d lost control of herself. Times when she’d gone so far out of her normal mannerisms and caused massive disarray of her collective hive.
She’d lost half her lifetime, and her hive, by the conception of their birth.
When she and her sisters had been born, her mother had said that upon their particular batch her mind had returned to normalcy. Her mind clearing of all the various extra “Emotions” that she’d taken on.She’d dubbed that moment and condition: The Fracture.And she’d passed that information to them through the hive-memory.
One should never stray from the path of their Preference. To Fracture is to fall away from the path of serving the hive.
For normal changelings, it was to completely abandon the way of the hive they’re borne into. For monarchs? For those who were to be the leading example and pride of the hives themselves?
It was to abandon the hive as a whole. To turn your back on all those who follow you and discard your place among the Monarchy. To scramble the “main brain” of the hive and shatter it into an uncontrollable mess.
Something she’d done in a bid for power to keep her hive alive and was regretting ever since. The only reason she was able to hide it from her hive was because of her “Crown”, her unique monarch trait. Allowing her mind to mend itself into a reasonable determination of sanity and thought,
Yet, still, this was the result of her folly.
Turning back to the copy, she wasn’t surprised to find that it “switched” again. Bright blue eyes greeted her and an eager expression found itself onto its face.
“We’ve got time for this later. After we deal with these obstacles, which leads me into an excellent idea!” the double wore a grin that nearly split its cheeks, “We’ll be doing the calculations, while you wield the spells.” this caught Chrysalis’s attention.
“What are you-?”
“Up until this point, you’ve been using High-Speed Incantations. Quick spells and hidden incantations are all well and good but we’re going to need to assure an edge.” here “She” laid a finger to her cheek, mouth still in the shape of a grin. “I’ll be a third ‘brain’ for you.”
That information brought nothing but horrid implications with it. Since when did “she” have this much power?!
This was-
She held her head, a slight ache settling on her mind before it left just as quickly.
Looking back up into the disinterested black pools of her double again, she rethought her previous decision.
“Fine then, if it’ll help me keep the edge over the Invasion Potentials and my sisters then we’ll move as to this agreement.” Her piece said, Chrysalis turned and walked away. The Queen left the copy in the realm of her mind, her form phasing out of existence in the space.
Having watched her go the copy chuckled, eyes turning a blue shade once again. She sat down, a throne materializing at the very beginning of the motion, before resting an elbow on the armrest with a fist to her cheek.
“Yes…” it began, as the memory of the dark ring around Chrysalis’s green eyes played over in its own thoughts.
Leaning backward and closing its eyes, it grinned. One eye opening halfway, and a red shimmering on the edge of the pupil.
“An edge, We need.”
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Happy New Years and have a hell of a end to 2017.
Hope I can bring back faith in the coming year and move further in my life.
That's okay, you take as long as you need. Can't rush perfection after all.
Hope your upcoming year turns out even better the previous ones.
I'm glad to see that your continuing this story. it's by far one of my top 3 favorites and I'm anxious to see what happens next and this teaser has wet my appetite for more.