//------------------------------// // Chapter 23 - Mother Chrysalis // Story: To Be a Changeling // by PlagueRat //------------------------------// Despite her centuries of life, Chrysalis had never come across a changeling as surprising as Pupa. The youth listened, followed instructions, and was already able to communicate as if she was well past her first molt. When she first interacted with her, back when she was still a larva, she knew the nymph would be gifted; it was the reason she prepared her for queendom after all; but it was still astounding to see just how smart Pupa seemed to be. It was also the reason she was so thrown off when she caught the little nymph relieving herself in such an odd way. She understood from past experiences that larva and young nymphs had accidents, but the strange pose her daughter had taken to pass water and cause the mess was still baffling. Not only that, but the fact that Pupa was so embarrassed by the faux pas showed the little nymph knew she did something wrong. “Well then, I guess we better get you cleaned up,” Chrysalis said to the nymph. Her long horn glowed a soft green and Pupa, along with the clump of moss, lifted up into the air. The moss moved into the center of the puddle to soak up the mess and then Chrysalis used her magic to wring out her daughter’s tail so she wouldn’t drip all over the hive. “I’m sorry…” Pupa said meekly with her ears folded back against her head. “Mistakes happen,” the queen responded, her tone even so as not to scold Pupa, but also reflect that she wasn’t pleased by her gaffe. “But I trust you know not to do that again.” “I won’t,” Pupa said as she was placed back down onto her hooves. Chrysalis walked over to the cavern entrance and motioned for her child to follow. Once Pupa had caught up to her the two of them went off into the tunnels. Luckily it wasn’t long before she found another changeling, specifically Mosquito. “Mosquito,” the queen called out to the approaching infiltrator, “is there someplace we can have a bath prepared?” “Oh yes, your highness, there is a little cavern with a depressed floor,” Mosquito confirmed while she made a gesture to pantomime the shape of a bowl. “We would just need to fill in a few cracks, bring some water in and it should work out just fine.” “Excellent, make the preparations then,” Chrysalis instructed. “At once my queen, princess,” Mosquito said with a bow to each of them before swiftly darting off back down the tunnel. “I should have asked her for directions first…” muttered Chrysalis to herself. One thing you can’t say about changelings is that they are slow to complete a task. Mosquito had quickly recruited a group of drones and so, slightly less than an hour later, Chrysalis and her daughter stood at the rim of a small pool of water just big enough to hold half a dozen changelings. The infiltrator had even managed to scrounge up a scrub brush. “Do you wish for me to assist your highness-es or would you prefer privacy?” Mosquito asked. It had been sometime since Chrysalis allowed herself the luxury of an attendant and maybe it wouldn’t hurt after the extremely vile and despairing day. Not to mention the future stress she'd have to deal with while learning more about the attack on the hive and how she’d punish the parties involved. “You may, Mosquito,” the changeling queen said before lighting up her horn and sending a beam of magic into the water to warm it. Once the bath was the proper temperature, Chrysalis waded in. Even at its deepest point and lowered onto her belly, her head and some of her neck easily rose above the water’s surface. Mosquito directed Pupa over to a little shelf that had been constructed for her smaller stature and the nymph tentatively dipped in one of her hooves before she joined her mother for the soak. Mosquito set right to work, flying above the bath and using a pitcher to scoop up some of the warm water. Chrysalis tilted her head back and the infiltrator gently rinsed her mane before carefully running the brush through it to remove any tangles. Once Mosquito finished with her mane Chrysalis stood up again so the same treatment could be done with her tail. Chrysalis was a little bemused when she looked over to check on her daughter. Instead of splashing around and playing the nymph sat quietly, staring down at the strands of her tail that floated on the surface of the water. Out of curiosity the changeling queen opened her senses to discern the child’s emotions; unexpectedly she tasted confusion. “Is something wrong?” she asked Pupa. The nymph blinked her large eyes a few times, seeming to come out of a deep thought. “No…” the nymph said unconvincingly as her eyes looked downward again. “Nothing at all?” Chrysalis prodded. “Something seems to be on your mind.” “Nothing,” Pupa softly said as both Chrysalis and Mosquito regarded the child quizzically. The changeling queen glanced at the infiltrator who had paused in her duty. After she properly inferred Chrysalis’s glance, Mosquito returned to her scrubbing, working the brush over the dark carapace of her flank. “Maybe you have a question about something?” the queen pressed. “No, I’m still just a little tired,” her daughter deflected. “Well, if later you want to ask me anything, you’re more than welcome to,” said Chrysalis. Figuring the child would eventually come around on her own and speak her mind, the matron closed her eyes as the brush worked over her withers; the bristles pleasantly tingling her hide. Once Mosquito finished with her body, Chrysalis lowered herself back into the comfortable warmth of the water. The diligent infiltrator landed next to the edge of the pool by Pupa and began the same grooming ritual for nymph. After finishing their bath, Chrysalis lead Pupa back to their temporary chamber. They had barely made it through the entrance before Odonate’s gruff voice called out from behind her. “My queen,” the guard said as he trotted down the tunnel and stopped a few feet away to bow to each of them. “Princess.” “Odonate,” said the changeling matron. “Perfect timing, I have orders I wish for you to relay to the others.” “Yes your highness but first I need to inform you that we’ve spotted troops from Canterlot arriving at the nearby pony settlement,” he said. “I’m surprised to see Celestia move her fat rump so quickly,” Chryaslis said with a scoff. “Do you know how many?” “Eight pegasi, seven unicorns, six earth ponies and three thestrals,” the guard listed. “Thestrals? Interesting,” the queen said. “What’s a thestral?” Pupa shyly asked. “A bat-pony hybrid your highness,” Odonate answered promptly. “Why don’t you show her Odonate,” Chrysalis said. A ring of green flames swirled around the guard changing his appearance to a stallion with ash grey fur and a dark cobalt mane. He looked similar to a pegasi except for four obvious differences. The fur on his ears fluffed out at the tips, two small fangs protruded from the corners of his mouth, his eyes were silted reminiscent of a changelings, and instead of feathery wings he had a set with leathery membranes that connected together three long jointed digits. “This is a thestral,” Odonate began to explain. “Unlike a Pegasus or a true bat, they have excellent night vision, almost on par with our own. Their sense of hearing is also highly acute and they can use it to help navigate through pitch black darkness. Night Pony is another name they are often referred to as, due to their preference of being active after the sun goes down.” “Oh,” Pupa simply said, “thank you.” Odonate nodded, returned to his normal form and moved his attention back to Chrysalis. “Thorax and three of his changelings have also been spotted arriving at the princess’s castle in the early hours,” the guard said. “So twenty-four Canterlot guards,” the queen grumbled, “and four traitor changelings. Is there any chance that the ponies have figured out a way to detect changelings yet?” “Not to our knowledge,” replied Odonate, “and from Weevil’s debriefing on her time at the school and around the diplomat from Thorax’s hive, I don’t think the traitor changelings can either.” “Interesting,” Chrysalis said. “I know we were distracted in escaping with Pupa at the time, but do you recall being able to sense any pheromones from the diplomat?” “Not that I can recall,” answered the guard, “not even when I was holding Pupa who had been in direct contact with her.” “We’ll have to do a little research to be sure they can’t identify us,” the queen said, “and see if we can find a way to sense them. I’d like Weevil to return to her scouting mission at the school but I don’t want to risk losing anyling.” “Weevil is young but she’s proven to be competent enough,” said Odonate. “She’s already gone undetected for months. I think she’ll be alright.” “Very well,” nodded the queen, “have her return to her post and make sure she knows to be extra careful while around the guards or traitors; and have Aphid return to the Everfree forest, I want her to keep an eye on the ruins and the entrances to the hive there. Let’s see if it’s under observation and if its whereabouts are really known to the Equestrians.” “Yes your highness,” complied Odonate. “Now then,” Chrysalis began, her tone taking on a slight edge, “Leech needs to be located and I was considering Vespa for the job of hunting him down.” “I agree,” said the guard. “She’s an accomplished tracker.” “I would prefer the scum be captured and returned to me alive,” the queen said, “but if he’s held up someplace where we can’t reach him, the knowledge of his refuge will have to suffice for now.” “With Leech gone a new changeling will be needed to gather love from the other infiltrators we have scattered around,” Odonate reminder her. “Mosquito could fill that role.” “No, I like having her close to the hive,” Chrysalis said after thinking about it for a moment. “She’s too proficient at gathering resources. How about Scarab or Featherwing?” “Scarab is the stronger flyer,” Odonate said. “Very well,” said Chrysalis, “send him out to see Cicada first, she collects the most love out of all the infiltrators and we need the extra strength right now.” A growl off to the side caused both older changeling’s ears to perk up. Both she and Odonate looked over at her daughter who had been unusually quiet and patient for a nymph. The growl noise repeated, coming from Pupa's stomach. “Speaking of collecting love,” Chrysalis said with a gentle smile, “why don’t we visit your green pony ‘friend’ and get a little something to eat.”