//------------------------------// // chapter thirteen // Story: Changeling Heart and the New Moon // by ambion //------------------------------// Changeling Heart and the New Moon chapter thirteen Chrysalis felt better than she had for a while. It was easier to deal with Luna when the princess boiled over - it was just a matter of a good bludgeoning from some angle or other - than it was when the princess sulked. Besides, the Queen got to hit Luna when that happened, and that kind of thing almost always cheered her up. Even so, she hadn’t expected such an intense reaction from Luna. The changeling had thought that impersonating Celestia was the sharpest jab she could manage, and it was a pretty good jab, so she hadn’t known that mimicking Luna herself would be all the more explosive. The mare had issues. Chrysalis quite liked this. It made Luna malleable in ways Celestia never would be, among other things. That’d been the plan with the invasion, at first. The white alicorn was the first among equals and all but revered by her ponies. Who better to secretly replace? Yet even then, prior to the harsh lesson of failure, Chrysalis had doubted her ability to manage it. And so Cadence, the least of the princesses, became her target. Luna had been overlooked entirely. The dark alicorn was reclusive, awkward, and the changelings had found out next to nothing about her. Ponies were, at best, lukewarm in their feeling for her, a sharp contrast to their adoration of Celestia, and it was said Cadence brought out love wherever she went, like rains to a parched desert. Or dessert, considering. Either way, changelings weren’t up front aggressors, they never had been. Even so she had beaten the foremost princess in combat, if only just. The ambient love of ponies was simply that powerful. Of course, she’d caught that power coming and going...and at quite a wild speed too, with her changelings as they flew helplessly into the horizon. Had things gone differently, the Queen of changelings might have been Queen of the world by now. It was a wistful thought, and Chrysalis sang a little tune to herself, fancying the supplication of all. Wax was still unconscious. Chrysalis found no reason to blame her little changelings for taking a taste, even if all of them had done it more or less at the same time. She’d dabbled herself, and had to admit it was a tasty change into simplicity. They’d all been feeding off of Luna alone for so long now. Exquisite as she was, variety was nicer. As it was, with a couple of subtle gestures and quiet words Chrysalis made it clear that they were to lay off and let him recover. She rather wanted to see him awake again. Luna carried the fainted pegasi across her back, meek all the while. Oblivious to it all, Wax hung limp, his limbs swinging back and forth as they walked. As the minutes rolled on, what had been a disparate train of bodies closed together, with both Chrysalis and Luna at its black heart. The broken paths of the wild forest was gone, as was the decayed home of Fallow Field. The trail they followed now had been carved by pony hooves, and the spaciousness of the land opened up before them. Broad, heavy leafed trees dominated now, but stood enough part to not restrict freedom of flight. “This is Whitetail Wood,” Luna commented idly. As if the name meant something to Chrysalis, she agreed lazily. Wax had been the first to find them, but as they wound ever nearer to the capitol he certainly wouldn’t be the last. The Queen wasn’t all that bothered by this, she’d deal with what appeared, if and when it did. In the meantime Chrysalis found herself liking the pegasus. She could respect the quest to find his princess, and the foolishness of it made for something to be exploited. All this way, alone, to find his princess. Then rushing headlong into an impossible fight, and having no compunctions about switching sides. Where his princess would lead, he would follow. Much the same was the brand of loyalty that changelings followed. For a pony that had never dealt with changelings before, never felt the tapping of love, he’d held up surprisingly well under the strain. A thought occurred to Chrysalis, and with a discreet flash of green flame that went unnoticed by Luna, she retrieved the little moon collar and tucked it away into the recesses of magic. That kind of thing could be useful to have. It certainly had been for the pegasus, after all. It was then that Luna stopped, and Chrysalis thought the princess might challenge her for the little toy. Except the alicorn truly hadn’t noticed, and had something more immediate to concern her. “Surreal?” Luna asked cautiously. “You’re licking me.” Calm disbelief softened her voice. Chrysalis grinned, but inwardly cringed. That little problem hadn’t gone away. Rather, it festered still. The only acknowledgment Surreal got from the others was acute exclusion. That was to be expected, but one changeling all but made a point of walking near her still. Chrysalis made sure to consider that when she had the time. In the moment, she wanted to see how this played out. She could be frustrated later. The little changeling stole glances at her Queen, but Chrysalis was the face of neutrality and disinterest. Surreal tried to speak, but her mouth had worked up a sort of tacky froth. Luna looked to Surreal, then to her side; one of the thorn scrapes there had a generous coating of the stuff, then back to Surreal. The little changeling burbled something indiscernible through the gunk. “I see...” Luna said and clearly didn’t. If Chrysalis was going to be honest to herself, she didn’t have much of a clue as to how this would play out. Well, that was half-truth. She knew exactly how Surreal would act, because the little changeling didn’t really have a choice in the matter. Surreal wasn’t the first changeling to fall, though Chrysalis had never actually seen it happening before her eyes. She proudly knew herself to be callous, but watching this still stung her. Apparently the moment went on with a shrug of acceptance on Luna’s part. The alicorn simply let the changeling continue her ministrations, best as she was able to with a pony sprawled across her back and the motion of the group pulling them forwards. It was a reaction entirely more surprising than outrage and drama would have been, all things considered. Chrysalis had to wonder if the alicorn didn’t live by some kind of daily quota for that kind of thing. Regardless, Luna looked fine. Embarrassed and unsure, but fine. Huh. Well, far as she understood it, skin was more sensitive and more easily damaged than a changeling's body, and Chrysalis knew herself the soothing touch of the nameless stuff. How must it feel for Luna? More than the physical comfort, Chrysalis wondered if Luna craved the approval, the sentiment that went with that treatment. It was more than likely, Chrysalis knew. For a pony, Luna was famished for love as much as any changeling. The pegasus’ head swung to the side. Surreal tried to carefully roll it back the other way to get at another cut, all the while jogging along to keep up with Luna’s easy stride. For her part, Luna tried even harder to show no notice of either the changeling at her side or pony on her back. Everytime the changeling managed, Luna’s next step would send the tongue-lolling lump back again to bump against Surreal’s own. Chrysalis kept watch with a coy eye, smiling all the while. Sure, plenty of things were wrong and getting worse, but this was funny. “Hey there,” Wax said in a slur. With each step forwards the day brightened and the sky cleared, but his colours stayed as muted as ever. Only Wax’s eyes lit up, this time the colour of strong cider. He tried to focus them on Surreal. Both blinked. “You’re licking Luna.” Wax heaved his head the other way. “You know she’s licking you, right?” Changelings didn’t have much money, because they didn’t have a use for it beyond what kept up appearances when they went roaming. All the same, Chrysalis would’ve paid good money to see what she saw now for free. “...can I lick you too?” he said it with a slack, silly grin that lacked only for pointy changeling teeth. Chrysalis would have stolen great money there and then to pay to see Luna’s expression. Shame that she’d have to put an end to this. Wax chuckled, then slumped to the ground like a sack. Surreal skittered out of the way, and with a look from her Queen, knew that her ministrations were at an end. Politely as she could manage, the little changeling hiccuped and spat the strange dregs to the soil, then sank into the crowd. Or tried to. It parted around her, and not with respect. Luna muttered something, and the pegasus shook himself sober as he stood. “Right you are, my lady liege. Walking it is, I’m fine to walk, walking is good!” He laughed and flapped his wings a few times, a little embarrassed with himself. He looked around at the throng of dispassionate black bodies, then turned presumptuously upon Chrysalis herself. “What happened, might I ask?” “Too many changelings, too little pony,” Chrysalis said simply. No need to go and give away details now, amusing as this pegasus was. “You held up pretty well, considering,” she added with a predatory smirk. She’d forgive her changelings this time, but from here on in there was the pecking order, and the Queen had an appetite to sait. This pegasus would do nicely for snacking purposes. He was silent for a moment, furled his wings and turned once more to his princess. “You’ve been with them how long? “You do not ask questions of me,” Luna said, though the familiar severity was gone from her voice. It was warm, and indeed there was a smile there, hidden in the darkness of her colours. “A week, perhaps less? I did not pay attention to the passing of nights, underground as I was.” Chrysalis caught the pegasus glimpsing at her from the corner of his now coppery eye, as if she might lunge at any moment, teeth first. “How are you still standing?” he said in hushed tones. “You’re the only other pony, princess.” It was cute, really. The way they had their little chat, their little pony discussion while completely surrounded by changelings, in earshot of the Queen herself. Chrysalis tried not to laugh aloud. She didn’t want to interrupt them. “I...” she fell silent. Luna darkened with thought, an impression not entirely metaphorical when dealing with the alicorn. “I am not the only one,” she said finally. “There are others. Held in the den of the changelings. Asleep, in a way. It is...not cruel.” Wax shuffled closer to the alicorn, though it was hard to tell which stood as guard and which as guarded. Wax had the posture and alertness, but Luna had the merit of actually being formidable. Minutes before he’d been slung across her back, and now this. The Queen would remember the image fondly. The air hung heavy with questions Wax refused to ask. Chrysalis was sure Luna was grateful for it, though she would’ve liked to see more of their crisis unfold. There was no accusation, no judgement in the pegasus that the Queen could see. He was in a situation he didn’t understand, trusting to his ‘lady liege,’ simply steadfast in following her. It really was commendable. Chrysalis called to the ponies and smiled. Luna glowered, Wax looked uncertain, but determined not to show it. Both reactions warmed her heart, and her teeth glistened. Chrysalis was gaining a great deal of insight. Right up to the invasion Luna had been this great black patch of ignorance to the changelings. Even at the height of the conflict, Luna had been curiously absent from the scene. Mysteries fluttered about the alicorn like candle infatuated moths, and while Chrysalis didn’t like puzzles, she did like the control she held now. She wondered how many little fissures of dissent ran through the princess, and how many of those pointed at Celestia. The sun princess had renown, adoration, command, and not least of all what amounted to a legion of royal guards. For all that, what did her little moon have? One pegasus, and another searching for her still. Well. That hardly seemed fair. “Little moon, I have a gift for your guard. A spell.” The princess glared with cold, incredulous eyes. Chrysalis didn’t blame the pony. Luna had good reason to doubt her intent. “A spell that blocks out some of our feeding. I’m sure you don’t want to carry him again now. He’s more amusing awake, you know.” “That sounds alright,” Wax said, but doubt riddled and wriggled through his words like worms in an apple. “Of course it does,” the Queen of changelings hissed gently. "Promise me this is not a trick, Chrysalis, and you may do this.” “I could do it whether you wanted it or not, but I do like to keep you happy, my little moon.” Luna scowled. Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “I promise-” “On your duty to your people!” “You remember that?” Luna’s brow furrowed a moment, and she answered a little too late. “Yes. Clearly. Now swear it.” Chrysalis grinned. As always, the expression was mostly teeth. “I promise, on my duty as Queen of changelings, that the magic I put on your guard will help you much more than it could help me.” The dark alicorn mulled over the words. Chrysalis intentionally mistook her silence for approval. “Good.” She cast her spell. To Wax’s credit he didn’t scream aloud, though his eyes brimmed with fear - apparently a sort of sandy orange - as the green flames embraced him. He struggled, but he might as well have tried to struggle his way free of actual fire. It settled on his coat and wings, covering most of his body, then sank through him, into the pegasus, fading all the while. Then the last flecks of green were gone, and the pony was scrutinizing himself closely. “Chrysalis!” Luna shouted. The Queen shrugged dismissively. “It’s done.” “It’s alright...I think I’m alright,” he said, controlling his voice if not his trembling. All the accusation and anger in Luna’s gaze was well founded, of course. If the princess would believe for a second that Chrysalis would ever actually act selflessly, than she deserved whatever she got for her foolishness. Luna, surely, had to be gently prodding at the magic already, trying to see it for what it was. And there was a spell there, naturally, and that spell did exactly what the Queen had said. It would, to an extent, keep the guard at leg’s length from the drain of hungry changelings. Not entirely, of course, but at least slow down the draw on his heart enough to keep him being overwhelmed again. Of course, magic didn’t have to be just one spell. She hadn’t lied at all, but then, Luna had said before that Chrysalis used the truth as a worse kind of lie. The Queen liked the sound of that. She took it as a compliment. Already Chrysalis hungrily anticipated the second spell coming to life. All in due time. She hoped she’d be there to see it in action though; and Luna did love those moments of exciting drama so. She grinned at Wax and licked her gleaming teeth. Wax shivered, just a little. If only he knew, he’d have shivered more. Or, come to think of it, not at all. A Queen needed her fun after all.