Pupa had a mane full of spiders and didn’t care. Maybe it would have bothered her if the arachnids were constantly crawling all over her, but instead they all just calmly stayed in place and only occasionally moved to groom themselves with their pedipalps. She was currently infested with the little creatures because she had checked each hole that was going to be filled in with resin and carefully coaxed out the occupants herself. Some were a little unhappy about their eviction, but in the end they all listened to her request to come out so they could be relocated.
“It looks like they are almost finished digging the pit,” Chrysalis said to her. “Once that’s complete they will smooth the sides so no creature will be able to stop from sliding down into the chamber below.”
“That’s where the floor will be covered with sticky mucus,” Pupa said, responding with what she had been told earlier.
“And why did we chose this trap for this tunnel?” her mother quizzed her.
“Because it is too small for a pegasus to use their wings to fly through,” the nymph answered and then added, “the hole won’t be noticed because it too dark for most creatures to see very well and it will have a very thin cover over it.”
“Correct,” Chrysalis said. “Now, what will the larger tunnel have again?”
“Lines of stretched mucus that hang from the ceiling,” Pupa said, “so that if a creature flies in, it will get caught right out of midair, and if they struggle they will just get more tangled up.”
“Very good,” her mother said.
“Can we make a trap that drops a net?” Pupa suddenly asked when the image of such a trap ran through her mind. “Or one that if they step on it, it pulls them up in the air?”
“Mmm, perhaps,” Chrysalis said with an encouraging smile. “But how will you make it work?”
“Um…” the little changeling thought to herself for a moment. “You need something that sets the trap off. Maybe a long stick? It holds the net up and if it moves it makes the net fall?”
“Wouldn’t that be too easy to spot if the net was held up by a long stick?” her mom questioned.
“Yeah…” conceded the nymph before repeating an earlier lessen. “Proper traps have to be hidden.”
“So what would be another way to cause the trap to spring?” pressed her mother.
Pupa pondered the question while watching the other changelings as they began to smooth the sides of the pit. Something tickled her ear and she flicked it absently, causing one of the spiders to swing into her peripheral vision as it dangled from a line of silk. She reached up to nudge the critter back into her mane and when she brought her hoof away it had a long strand of webbing attached to it.
“String,” she said, holding the gently swaying thread of silk for her mother to see, “if they bump into the string, it makes the net fall on them.”
“Right,” her mother said, “Come along and let’s see if we can find Mosquito, she might have what we’ll need to make your trap. We can also find a place to drop off your passengers.”
A few hours later and free of about two dozen spiders, Pupa watched as a bright pink earth pony, with a puffy pink mane, trotted in her direction.
“I sure hope there are no changelings in here,” loudly said the pony as her blue eyes looked from side to side.
Pupa leaned forward, filled with excitement, as the pony’s front hoof snagged a line of string that ran from one side of the tunnel wall to the other. A large net made of thin rope then dropped from a shadowy nook in the ceiling and landed squarely on the pony.
“Oh no, I have been trapped,” said the pony who just flopped over onto her side. “Wait, what is that hiding in the dark?”
With a toothy grin growing across her muzzle, Pupa steeped confidently from the shadows. When she saw the pony’s eyes grow wide at the sight of her, she hissed menacingly for extra effect as she’d been instructed.
“It’s no use trying to escape pony,” said the nymph, standing tall and regal while letting her voice take on a dual tone. “You are now my captive.”
“Gasp! It’s the changeling princess, Pupa!” cried out the pink prisoner, uselessly kicking at the net with her hooves. “What ever will I do? Somepony please save me!”
“Okay, I think that’s enough Mosquito,” Chrysalis said from behind. “You’ve proven the traps effectiveness for Pupa, again.
Chrysalis’s horn glowed and the net lifted off the pony to return back into place on the ceiling. The small strings that kept the trap in place were re-threaded and the trip line was primed once more. The telltale green fire of a changeling’s transformation surrounded the newly freed pony and returned Mosquito to her natural form.
“Can we do it again just one more time mom?” Pupa asked before covering a little yawn with her hoof.
“No, five times is enough,” Chrysalis said firmly. “Besides, it’s getting late now and you need to get some sleep.”
“But I’m not even tired,” pouted the nymph.
“Don’t argue now,” her mother said, plucking the miniature queen up into the air with her magic.
“Okay…” Pupa said, ineffectively wiggling her dangling legs before looking over to Mosquito. “Thank you Mosquito.”
“It was my pleasure to assist your highness,” the changeling said with a bow.
“Mom?” asked Pupa from her perch on her mothers back. “When will I be able to shape-shift?”
“On your own? It shouldn’t take you too long,” said Chrysalis as she passed over the threshold into their chamber. “Maybe half a year from now, give or take.”
“What about using magic?” she questioned.
“Tomorrow,” her mother said without missing a beat.
“Really?” Pupa gasped with eyes growing wide. “Why not now?”
“Because you’re going to sleep now,” said the changeling queen as she looked back over her withers. “And before you say anything, think of it this way. The sooner you go to bed, the sooner morning will come and the sooner I’ll start to teach you how use your magic.”
A myriad of arguments went through her mind about why starting now would be better and she inhaled a lung full of air in preparation to voice a few. Maybe sensing the incoming dispute, her mother gave her a stern look that left no room for debate. Pacified, Pupa let out her held breath as a defeated sigh.
Chrysalis lowered herself onto the pile of pillows they used for a bed before levitating Pupa off her back and placing the nymph at her side.
“What spell will you teach me first?” asked Pupa, before resting her head on her outstretched front legs.
“Levitation, since it is the most useful,” Chrysalis answered.
“It’s going to be so much fun,” the little nymph said, letting out another small yawn.
Sleep didn’t come to Pupa right away and so her mother began to softly sing.
“Tomorrow I will teach you much, and every day I’ll show you more,
tho few we are we will work hard, and our kind’s strength will be restored.
With cunning plots and crafted plans, the Equestrians will see,
on the rise is the changeling’s time, this my dear I can guarantee.”
Pupa awoke alone sometime later. A brief moment of anxiety overtook the nymph, as she looked around for her missing mother, sending chills through her limbs. Her ears swiveled in the direction of the chambers entrance where she could hear voices whispering softly in the adjacent tunnel. As stealthily as she could, she crept closer to the rooms exit and a wave of relief went through her when she recognized the speakers as her mother and Odonate.
“Where are they now?” her mother asked.
“Assisting the workers,” answered Odonate. “I have Phasmid with them too, to make sure they don’t break their bonds before being encased in pods.”
“It’s a shame her cover was blown,” Chrysalis said, “and I wish the pegasus didn’t get away. Still, capturing six on their own...”
“It's good to have the extra source of food but this might cause Celestia to send reinforcements to the area,” warned Odonate.
“I agree,” said her mother, “put the hive on alert for now.”