//------------------------------// // Chapter 38 // Story: To Be a Changeling // by PlagueRat //------------------------------// *Click, Click, Click* The tumblers inside lined up once again and the shackle popped free from the locks body. A green glow enveloped the device and once again pushed the two parts together, relocking the padlock. *Click, Click, Click* Pupa repeated the magic exercise, for hive knows how many times now, trying to keep her mind off the strange dream and the sickening feeling it left her with. *Click, Click, Click* After she had awoken and had a little time to calm herself, the nymph insisted on returning to her room to continue trying to pick the padlock. As soon as she had walked over the threshold, Pupa focused all her attention on the lesson her mother started to teach her earlier. When she managed to pop the lock for the first time, not even an hour into practicing, she felt little gratification and her mood remained morose. *Click, Click, Click* Sandbar even tried to cheer her up by complimenting her accomplishment but she didn’t have it in her to do more than nod at the pony in acknowledgement. The first lock soon became too easy and she requested another one from her mother. Chrysalis appeared concerned about her dour state and told her to take a break and maybe play a game with her instead. *Click, Click, Click* She thought about it momentarily but declined, telling her parent that she ‘just didn’t feel like playing right now’ and went back to her busywork. Not long after, Mosquito brought her a small pile of locks and she picked her way through them one by one as her mother supervised and Sandbar played with a pack of cards. *Click, Click, Click* “Pupa,” Chrysalis said, gently placing a hoof on the nymph’s withers. “It’s getting late, maybe you would feel better after some sleep?” About to decline her suggestion, the little changeling ended up biting her tongue once she got a good look at the worry creasing Chrysalis’s features. With a nod she walked over to the pile of pillows and curled up so the end of her tail was almost touching her snout. Sleep didn’t come to her and so the little nymph let her vision focus in and out on the dark cerulean hairs in front of her face. “Your highness,” she heard Phasmid’s voice and looked up just as the guard came flying into the chamber, “there are intruders in the hive.” “How many?” Chrysalis asked, swiftly going from laying on her pillows to standing on her hooves with a quick buzz of her wings. “Four,” the guard informed her, “but they didn’t make it very far before being captured.” “Where are they now?” asked her mother. “The yak and the dragon are in the process of being unstuck,” Phasmid said, “but we’re having a little trouble with the dragon because she keeps blowing fire. Odonate is on his way to assist and to take care of it.” “A dragon?” questioned Chrysalis. “Yes, though a juvenile one,” the guard said, “I also think both her and the yak are the same ones present at the school when we rescued Pupa.” “And the other two?” asked the queen. “Are they also from Sparkle’s school?” “I believe so,” confirmed Phasmid. “A female hippogriff and male griffon.” “Just four? Was there a little light blue traitor among them?” pressed Chrysalis with narrowed eyes. “Only the four,” Phasmid answered, “but we are checking the other tunnels for any additional trespassers.” Pupa, now distracted from her own issues by the current event, climbed to her hooves and trotted over to stand next to her mother. “Bring the hippogriff and griffon to me,” commanded her mother. “I have some questions for them. Once the other two are restrained, bring them as well.” Before the captives had been escorted into the room to stand before her mother, Chrysalis explained to the young nymph how to properly prepare the venue for an intimidating effect. The queen instructed Pupa to sit next to her and Sandbar to stay beside Mosquito, who stood a short distance away, off to the queen’s side. A few other changelings had also taken up protective positions in the room and among the few who Pupa knew were Tsetse, Weevil and Aphid. After everyling had taken their places her mother told the changeling standing at the chamber entrance to bring the prisoners in. A familiar bright blue catbird and light pink ponybird were escorted into the room by Phasmid and another changeling. To render the use of their wings ineffective, both creatures had a ring of resin secured around their middles keeping the limbs firmly in place against their sides. Head down, ears lowered and worry on her face, Silverstream appeared crestfallen. On the other hoof, Gallus seemed more irritated, with his eyes narrowed and a deep frown creasing his beak. When they spotted Sandbar, with his mane and fur dyed while wearing a fake horn and wings, the two took an almost synchronized double take. “Oh my gosh!” exclaimed the hippogriff, dropping to her rump and putting both palms of her talons against her cheeks. “Sandbar what happened to you?!” “Uh, hey Silverstream,” the colt timidly replied, “just had a little makeover, no big deal.” “Silence!” roared Chrysalis in a dual tone, causing many of the rooms occupants to flinch, “You’re not here to ask questions, you’re here to answer them.” “We’re here to save our friend,” Gallus grumbled loud enough for all present to hear. A green aura surrounded the griffon, dragging him forward and face to face with her mother. His bravado melted away instantly when he looked directly into her piercing and glowing green eyes; eyes that told all watching she was in no mood for back talk. “Why are you here?” Chrysalis hissed. “We’re here to save Sandbar,” Gallus repeated after swallowing a lump in his throat. “Why else?” pressed her mother. “Why else?” the griffon asked, looking a little confused. “Why else?” growled Chrysalis when she asked again. “That’s all we came here to do,” Silverstream said, attempting to step forward only to be stopped by Phasmid’s firm hoof on her shoulder. “Honest.” “And that’s why you brought these cans of poison?” her mother asked, “To save your friend.” “Well, yes,” admitted the hippogriff after a moment of contemplation, “it’s an insect repellent, but I understand how you could see it as poison. At the time I... we didn’t really see it that way… we just needed stuff to protect ourselves.” Chrysalis harrumphed, using her magic to return Gallus back to the floor and next to Silverstream. “How did you find our hive?” the queen questioned them. “Just a lucky guess,” Gallus shrugged and was swiftly lifted into the air, with magic, by his tail. “This isn’t a game griffon,” warned Chrysalis, “now tell me how you found us?” “I tracked you to this area,” answered Gallus. That news caused her mother to sit up and the present changelings to mumble amongst themselves. “How did you track us?” Chrysalis asked, her tone somber. “I’m a griffon,” Gallus said. “We’re great at hunting.” “Excuse me, queen Chrysalis,” Silverstream said, “Could you um, please put Gallus down now that he answered your question?” “Does any other creature know we’re here?” Chrysalis asked, turning her attention to Silverstream. “Just us four,” said the hippogriff. Frowning, her mother released her magic hold on the griffon, allowing him to drop catlike onto his paws and talons. The cavern became quiet while the queen pondered this new circumstance and Silverstream looked around the room, making eye contact with Pupa. “Hi Silverstream,” the nymph chirped. “Did you really come to take Sandbar back?” “Yeah,” nodded the hippogriff, looking over to her pony friend “we really miss him…” “Just stay here then,” she innocently said. “If you’re scared to be around changelings like he was, I can turn you into one.” “Do what now?” balked Gallus. “I turned him into a changeling,” she pointed a hoof to the colt. “Yeap, I’m a changeling,” Sandbar said with an awkward grin, and received a pat on the head from Mosquito. Clearing her throat, all the attention in the room returned to Chrysalis. “Tsetse, Mosquito and Weevil, take the pony, griffin and hippogriff to another chamber and keep an eye on them,” instructed her mother. “Featherwing, go and tell Odonate I require his presence and get him any assistance he might require to handle the situation he’s overseeing. Phasmid, Aphid, remain with me.” “Mom,” Pupa whispered, her tail excitedly flicking from side to side behind her. “Can I go with Mosquito and everyling else?” When the nymph saw the serous look on her mother’s face she had expected her to say no but instead Chrysalis let out a small sigh and nodded her head. “You can go, but listen to Mosquito,” her mother affirmed before looking over to the non-changelings in the room. “And you three, for your own sakes, don’t do anything to make me regret not putting you all in cocoons.”