//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 Growth 
// Story: Don’t make deals with Chrysalis 
// by ThePhonyBronyPony 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 5
 
 
 
 
I never liked bears to begin with. Ever since a child people would ask me what my least favorite animal was. My answer stayed the same, I hate bears. So naturally I have to feed a bear. I couldn’t have just fed the demon bunny, oh no I have to risk life and limb to sate to the ravenous apatite of the bear. I will most likely die, but I did volunteer to help so I would.
 
“Don’t worry, Harry is a vegetarian. He only eats berries.” I must have looked scared because, Fluttershy decided to reassure me. It helped quell the fear of him eating me. I was still scared but I felt I could do this, without passing out from sheer terror.
 
“So, where do you keep the berries?” Remember deep breaths. I remind myself.
 
“They should be inside. One second I will be right back.” Fluttershy walks inside. As she disappears, I am slightly tempted to just run off and hide. Get away from these ponies, and bide my time till I can break my Mother out of prison. It was a fleeting thought that only lasted a moment before I shot it down. Where would I go? I need the ponies for food. Not to mention I can’t protect myself, it would be suicide to run away.
 
Fluttershy returned with a gallon sized bucket, however it was empty. She set it down in front of me with a smile. “Here you go, Titania. I am afraid I am out of berries. You will need to go pick some. If you need me then I will be right inside cutting up some carrots.”
 
“Where do I find berries?” I ask looking at the bucket.
 
“You can find some on the edge of the everfree forest.” She points a hoof toward some bushes on the edge of the forest. “Don’t go into the everfree forest though. All sorts of dangerous creatures live in there!” she warns.
 
“Ok got it, don’t go into forest.” I repeat picking up the bucket in my mouth, and tuning to leave.
 
“Oh, and only pick the red berries; the rest are poisonous.” She calls after me as I walk towards the everfree forest.
 
I was very disappointed to find that the bushes were almost bare. A few small berries still clung to the bush, but there wasn’t even close to enough to fill the bucket. I looked around for more berry bushes. The only ones I could see were the bare ones I was already looking at. I peered through the trees hoping to find some close to the edge. A little ways into the forest sat several bushes heavy with berries. I bit my lip contemplating what to do. Do I go in and get the berries or do I stay in safety? Now that was a no brainer, go get the berries obviously. I will take my odds of Fluttershy killing me over a hungry bear any day.
 
I pick up my bucket and walk carefully to the bushes. The fallen leaves and sticks crunch under my hooves, as I walk past the tall trees. I get to the bush fairly quick, and start filling my bucket with the red berries.
 
I used to go berry picking a lot when I was younger. I always came home scratched by the thorns from the blackberry bush. The pie that my mom would make with the berries, was well worth it though. Man, she new how to make a pie. Now though my tough chitin protected me from the tiny thorns. I was rapidly filling the bucket.
 
When the bucket is full I turn around to head back to the cottage. But I don’t know which direction I came from and I can’t see the edge of the forest anywhere. I am officially lost, in a forest that is filled with deadly creatures.
 
 “Well crap.” I say to myself, spinning in a circle trying to find the edge of the forest to no avail. I think that the cottage is to my left, so I pick up my bucket which is far heavier than before. I try to walk with it in my mouth only to fall over, and watch helplessly as all the berries spill out onto the ground. I get up, angry at my predicament. I whack the bucket and see it go flying, sending berries flying in all directions. I am breathing heavily, as I start to run as best as I can in one direction. The air in my face is starting to calm me down, and I try to think calm thoughts as I slow down. Ok just breathe you couldn’t carry all those berries anyway. I think as I come to a stop.
 
I look up at the sky to see it getting darker. It will be night soon, and I am going to need a fire and shelter. I think, remembering the few survival tv shows I watched in my previous life. I start collecting sticks, and placing them into piles organized by size and shape. I try to make a teepee only for it all to collapse in on itself.
 
I flop on the ground and close my eyes feeling extremely frustrated. I scream in frustration with my teepee, with my bucket of berries, with my stupidity of getting lost, with my uselessness in pretty much every situation, with the fact that I had to find a way to get my Mother out of prison, with my recent death at the hands of fried food. I hated this world, I hate Celestia and Luna, I hate Twilight and her patronizing tones, I hate everything. I wish I was back in the egg, at least in there I didn’t have to worry about all of this. At some point I had started crying tears of frustration and rage. I eventually curled up in a ball on my side, and just cried myself to sleep.
 
I dreamed I was back in my egg, the soft safe warmth of the syrup surrounding me. The green syrup, made me feel as if I was floating in space. I noticed a figure moving outside my egg. It was only a silhouette, but I could hear its sniffing and growling. Suddenly the creature screeched in pain and fled. I noticed that some ponies found my egg. The ponies pondered what to do with me for a while, but the unicorn of the group picked my egg up with magic and carted it out of the forest. I felt the occasional jostling, but other than that it was all dull and unimportant. I dreamed that I was loaded on a train. The dream was very boring and it was starting to give me a headache. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warm safety of my egg.
 
When I awoke I was in surrounded in green syrup again. It wasn’t a dream I realized. I stabbed the wall with my horn going straight through, then I sliced down. Cutting my way out of an egg again for the second time. I spilled out onto a warm stone floor. I looked around I was definitely in a hive. This one was covered in plant life, moss and vines covered the walls and ceiling.
 
Suddenly I gasped in pain, and grasped my head in my front hooves. Pain filled my head, like someone was splitting it open with an axe. I screamed and writhed on the floor in pain. Drool hung out of my mouth, and there were voices, so many voices each screaming at me, though I couldn’t understand them through the pain. I couldn’t see through the tears in my eyes. This pain was overwhelming. I am barely even aware that I am being held down. I scream over and over my tears flowing. I slam my head against the floor in attempt to smash my brain in. Death would be better than this unyielding pain. But then my head is held down and I can’t move anymore. I wish I could pass out but I can’t, so I will just scream and cry till I die.
 
Hours pass and eventually my screams turn to moans of pain. I wish for death but none comes, only more pain comes. And then there are those voices so loud so very loud. Each voice Is screaming over the rest, in an attempt to be heard. Suddenly I feel a calming presence, and a voice sticks out from the cacophony of voices.
 
“Child, calm yourself your Mother is here.” Says the calming voice of Chrysalis in my head. I blink away my tears, and I ley still. The pain noticeably lessons, and the voices quite a decibel or two.
 
“Mother, help me, it hurts too much.” I manage to gasp.
 
“I already am, but you need to enter the hive mind on your own.” She says sternly yet kindly.
 
“How?” I ask my voice horse and dry.
 
“Open your mind, don’t force away the voices, separate them, and listen to them.” She says as the volume turns back up, and the pain increases to its previous level.
 
I focus on the voices ignoring the pain. Each voice is different, and they seem to be having conversations with each other. As I try to listen in on the conversations the pain increases. I think back to what Mother said.
 
“Open your mind.” I take deep breaths trying to calm myself through the pain. I close my eyes and Imagine my mind is a white room, and I place all the different voices in bubbles. Separation done, they float around the ceiling. The pain leaves as the voices quieten till they are but far away whispers.
 
I pop a bubble and a voice filters in. “Who is she? A princess! Chrysalis is here too? I Hate her!” The voice seemed to be having a conversation with someone, but I could only hear one side of it. I reimagine a bubble around the voice sealing it away. Then I Imagen a big bubble that pulses, and I know that it is my Mother, I pop it.
 
“Hello? Mother are you there?” I ask in my head.
 
“Yes, Titania I am here. Congratulations on entering the hive mind.” She says her voice, full of pride.
 
“Is it this painful for all the changelings? I ask remembering the pain well.
 
“No, usually changelings are forced into the hivemind quickly. Unfortunately, royals have to be guided to the hivemind, by their Queen.”
 
“It sure took you a while for you to do your guiding.” I say mentally glaring at her.
 
“For that I am sorry, Titania, however I was too far away to be of help. Open your eyes you have visitors.” She says.
 
I open my eyes to see a whole bunch of ponies looking at me. There was Mother, Sunbutt, Moony, Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, a colorful looking creature with antlers, and some other ponies I had never seen before.
 
“Well, what are you guys in for? Robbery? Murder? Kidnaping?” I joke, Mother is the only one who gets it though.
 
“You seam to have had a growth spurt.” Comments Twilight.
 
I give myself a quick look over. I had grown a lot, since I went into the pod. I was now the size of an average pony. “You are right, Sparkle.”
 
“Princess Titania, have you learned the magic of friendship yet?” asks Luna.
 
“Moony last time I answered one of your questions it got me a royal visit from, Princess Sunbutt here. So, you will understand my hesitation to answer any questions you toss my way.” I say smiling.
 
“I shall take that as a no.” Sighs Luna. Sunbutt muttered something about disrespect but I couldn’t catch it.
 
“What was all the screaming about?” asks Spike.
 
“Oh that, I just have an allergy to all of you, naturally.” I say faking a coughing.
 
“Ah, think you are lying.” Says an orange pony wearing a cowboy hat.
 
“Ever heard of sarcasm?” I ask the orange pony.
 
“If, Titania is alright then my Sister, and I must return to Canterlot.” Says Sunbutt.
 
“I will be just peachy when you are gone,” permanently.  I add via hive mind to Mother, who winks at me.
 
“So, I guess you need more time with Fluttershy.” Says Twilight shaking her head.
 
“About that, Twilight. Princess Celestia and I were talking, and we think it is best that, Princess Titania stays here with the other changelings.” Says the colorful reindeer/bug guy.
 
“No, Celestia she won’t stay here with these traitors.” Mother hisses.
 
“Yah what she said!” I add in.
 
“Chrissy, you don’t have any say in the matter. You were only brought out of prison to help save your daughter. Now that she is better you will be sent back to prison, when Luna and I leave.” Sunbutt says smiling.
 
“Sister, we must leave. We have things to attend to.” Says Moony.
 
“Very well, Sister, good day, Thorax, Spike, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie. Come along, Chrissy, can’t have you getting attached to this new hive, can we?” Sunbutt mocks as, Sunbutt, Moony, and Mother all disappear in a flash of light.
 
“I will get you out soon Mother. I promise.” I tell her through the hive mind. I wait for a response, but I only receive silence.