A chill breeze wafted out from the portal, ruffling Mavis' hair. Thorax was waiting exactly where they had left him, along with a handful of smaller changelings in a variety of bright colours.
"Sorry about them," Thorax said apologetically. "We've never had visitors like this before, so everyling is a little eager to meet you. Are you ready to come through?"
"Not if ve don't have to," Dracula muttered under his breath.
"We're ready," Mavis said loudly. She made to step forward, but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.
Dracula held up a hand apologetically. "The portal spits you out on the other side a little… abruptly. Let me go first and show you how it's done." Suiting actions to words, he strode towards the mirror and reached out a hand.
The instant Dracula's hand touched the mirror there was a bright flash and the vampire was yanked through the glass surface, disappearing with an undignified, "Bleh!" Mavis watched, fascinated, as Dracula shot out through the other side of the mirror and landed in a crumpled heap before Thorax.
It took Mavis a moment to realize that Dracula had shapeshifted as he went through, though the form he now bore was unlike any she had seen him use before. He looked like some kind of pony in plushie form, with dark grey fur, black hair and tail, and a pair of great black batwings.
"Whoa, what?!" Thorax took several steps back, staring in surprise at Dracula. "What happened?!"
Dracula groaned and got to all fours, flexing his wings experimentally. "The portal changes those who go through it. If you think this is crazy, vait until you see vot you changelings look like on our side." He checked himself over once more before looking back over his shoulder. "Okay, Mavis. Your turn."
Mavis felt a shiver of anticipation as she looked at the mirror with fresh respect. This thing really was a portal to an entirely different world, one that she was about to visit almost on a whim. Concern flashed across Dracula's expression and, realising that he was mistaking the reason for her hesitation, Mavis confidently strode forward and stepped through the mirror.
The transition was… odd. The instant she touched the glass, Mavis was yanked forward by an invisible force. She felt a sudden shock run through her whole body, as if she had dove through the surface of a frozen lake, then suddenly found herself hurtling through the air like a cannonball.
It took Mavis a second to realize that the mirror had transformed her just as it had her father, but by then it was far too late to try and correct her flight and she hit the floor with a bump, rolling end over end until she finally slid to a halt on her belly.
"Mavis! Are you alright?!" Dracula was instantly at her side, reaching down with a wing.
"I'm fine, dad," Mavis said reassuringly. She was used to shapeshifting, so the sudden change in form wasn't an issue for her, though she could have cheerfully done without the embarrassment of arriving in such an undignified way. Getting back to her feet, or hooves in this case, Mavis tidied her hair with a foreleg and looked up at Thorax, who was now head and shoulders taller than her. "So, uh, hi! I'm Mavis, daughter of Mr Bleh Bleh-bleh"
"I'm Thorax, king of the changelings," Thorax replied with a bow of his head, ignoring Dracula's indignant spluttering. "Welcome to the Changeling Kingdom!"
Mavis looked around curiously. They were standing in a large room that almost resembled a cave, with thick green vines and ivy covering most of the irregular walls. "Um, nice place you have here," Mavis said politely.
"It's something of an improvement over the last time I visited, I'll give you that," Dracula put in. "I do miss the oppressive darkness and sinister shadows, but I'm glad the aura of despair and starvation has faded avay. It vas too clichéd."
"Says the one who lives in a creepy castle in the middle of the haunted woods in Transylvania," Mavis muttered.
Thorax chuckled and turned away, gesturing for them to follow. "Come on, I'll show you around. We've made a lot of changes since Chrysalis was evicted."
"Have you found a vay to feed other than by stealing love from other creatures?" Dracula shot.
"Actually, yes," Thorax countered sharply. "These days we share love with each other. In fact, discovering that we can do that was the catalyst that led to Chrysalis finally being kicked out."
Mavis glared at her father, who at least had the good grace to look contrite. The two vampires fell silent as they fell into step behind Thorax. The corridors outside were largely undressed stone, coated in places by thick vines and patches of ivy.
"This is our main hive," Thorax explained. "We have a few smaller ones dotted around, but this is the biggest, and the seat of our government. We also have a few families looking into emigrating into the surrounding countries."
"Emigrating, or infiltrating?" Dracula asked.
"Dad!" Mavis hissed.
"Vat? It's a fair question, they are changelings," Dracula countered.
Thorax chuckled. "To be fair, infiltration was about the only interaction we used to have with other races in Chrysalis' time. Thankfully, these days things have changed dramatically."
"How so?" Mavis asked, more to keep her father quiet than anything.
"For a start, our colors and form are a result of sharing love rather than stealing it," Thorax replied. "Aside from that, we're adopting different aspects of things such as holidays from other cultures, to make up for what Chrysalis wouldn't allow us to have."
"That sounds… scary," Mavis said quietly.
"It can be, especially given the difficulty we have had finding our own path now that Chrysalis is gone," Thorax admitted. He allowed himself a small smile. "To be honest, though, most of the time, I actually find it pretty exciting. There's so much out there for us to see, and to learn, and it's so much more satisfying to live in this world as builders, rather than parasites. To stand proudly alongside our neighbors as friends and allies instead of hiding in the shadows."
Mavis couldn't help but feel a little kinship with the changelings. She certainly understood all too well how he felt. "It seems like we have more in common than I thought."
"I'm glad to hear it!" Thorax said brightly. "And if you or your father want any more proof of how we have changed, just take a look at this." He stopped next to a hole in the cave wall, the simplest form of window, and gestured outside. Mavis looked outside and gasped loudly. "This is what the Changeling Kingdom has become."