//------------------------------// // CH 44 (awake) // Story: Accepting Change // by drFraud //------------------------------// Dicty Every… ling, was working, fixing the domes, bringing materials, helping the injured. And I was taking a well-earned break. Sitting on the roof of a house overlooking one of the largest construction sections, I watched as Patch did his best to help. It took five lings to move what he did on his own, even with no transformation. From the corner of my eye, I noticed someling landing on the roof, and a quick glance confirmed it as Scurry. “Are you here to yell at me as well?” I asked him, taking a peek at his missing leg as he hobbled over to me. “Why would I do that? You hated it here, so you left,” it took a bit of work, but he managed to lie down next to me with a grunt, “I hated it here and I made regular runs to Equestria.” “Spectrum yelled.” “Spectrum is a decent ling, but not very bright,” he scoffed. “But he’s right though, I should have done something more instead of just… running away,” I raised an eye ridge when I spotted Mantis approaching Patch with scrolls held in his magic. I was far enough that I could see Patch slump in exhaustion. “I don’t think he slept in the last five days,” Scurry rubbed his chin with a forehoof. “Who, Patch?” My ears twitched at the worried tone of his voice, “He doesn’t need much sleep in the first place.” “Just because he doesn’t need much sleep does not mean he isn’t getting tired,” Scurry shrugged, “but back on topic; running away seems like a viable strategy if you look at my brother and how he ended up.” “How is he, anyway?” Spine was a good… replacement, it would be a right shame to lose him. “He’s, doing well, my supplies are completely dry, but he will make it,” his face had an odd mix of emotions that I couldn’t place. “Supplies?” “Doesn’t matter and… is that a pony?” I turned my head to where Scurry was looking and I had to stifle my laughter; Twilight Velvet, looking like she went through Tartarus, and two beat-up-looking lings just strolled through the leftover ruins. “Patchwork, honey!” I heard her shout to get his attention but that wasn’t necessary. Patch looked at her like he saw a ghost, eyes wide and jaw hanging open. I wish I was closer so I could see the details, but I did bust out laughing when he just dropped. “For the love of…” I heard Scurry mutter before flying towards them, I was too busy laughing my flank off. Mantis “Are you out of your mind!?” I shouted at Velvet as three lings moved Patch’s unconscious body to the side and away from the construction. “I could ask him the same question?” She pointed a hoof at Patch. I wish I had claws like him so I could pinch my nose in frustration. “Are you out of your mind, pony!?” Scurry shouted landing just next to me. I could see his eye twitch. “He just asked me that,” She threw her hooves up, and… was she angry? What in the world? “Velvet, why are you here?” I hissed at her my eyes darting around as we started to get more and more attention. The other lings looked like they didn’t know what to do, first it was the thestral and now this. “Patch needed my help, so I came to help. And I got a fun adventure out of it with these two,” She pointed at the two nervous-looking lings with her horn while she approached Patch’s unconscious form. He was probably asleep at this point, he needed it. She lifted his head with her magic and gently placed it on her barrel, “You all can go back to what you were doing, I’m going to take a nap, it wasn’t easy getting here after all.” She made a shooing motion with her hoof, and I felt right eye twitch. I could hear Scurry take a note from Patchworks book with a quiet ‘what the fuck?’ and I was considering just picking her up and shaking her until I got some proper answers. Dicty interrupted whatever was going to happen next though. “All right, all right, everyling get back to work, show’s over!” My sisters shout got everyling to stand at attention before going back to whatever they were doing. I could see Velvet’s ears twitch from where she was curled up but other than that it became clear that she was out like a light. Turning my head to look at my sister (after I figured out that Velvet was asleep) I noticed a smile on her face as she approached us. I could also just barely see Scurry as he was grinding his teeth while looking at Velvet. “That mare is something else, isn’t she?” I could easily tell that she wanted to laugh about it with a few uncontrolled giggles bubbling up, “At least it fixes one of our problems.” It took me a second to figure it out, but then I scoffed, “I truly doubt that one mare could feed our entire hive.” “One mare, no, but she loves Patch with all her heart, and we also have the ten guards from that cave. It’s not ideal but…” She turned to look at Velvet and I did the same, “A willing pony can give more love than an unwilling one and if nothing else,” Dicty shrugged, “it will help improve pony–ling relationships.” My sister was right, of course, but that didn’t change the fact that what Velvet did was beyond dangerous. A flash of green got me to look at Scurry who was feeding off of Velvet, “What are you doing?” I tilted my head to the side in surprise as he smacked his lips with delight. Dicty just shook her head, “I’m gonna get a few gatherers, just gonna tell them to be careful about it. Patch will lose his mind if we hurt her in any way.” This time I shook my head as she started walking to the castle. “Are you sure you don’t want to be a captain again?” Scurry shouted after her making me facehoof. Her twitching ear and tail were the only reaction.   Silent Drop I landed on one of the spires that dotted the castle and waited until a hole opened up for me to enter. It took about five minutes, my stomach growling while I waited. I was looking forward to trying the two lizards I caught not far from the castle; I knew they were edible if you remove the poison sack. The moment a hole opened I jumped through and into my little slice of the castle. Nopony entered this area or even patrolled close by, so I had unfettered access to this room. The small room had everything I needed, and that was a cloud to sleep on, space for my saddlebag, and a bucket… I missed plumbing. Taking what tools I needed from the saddlebags, I got to cleaning and cooking my dinner. Some lings HAVE offered me their food, but it just wasn’t up to my palate; there is a lot they needed to learn about cooking. Setting up so that the prepared lizards were cooking over a strong heating crystal, I rifled through my saddlebags looking for the quill and the book for communication with Celestia. I told her about the current situation with Velvet (‘that mare is insane’) and Patch as well as the current situation with the love stores. The response I got wasn’t exactly optimistic. ‘Well, that’s gonna make things difficult,’ I clicked my tongue tossing the book to the side. I ate my dinner without much thought and went to bed shortly after. I'll clean the mess in the morning. … “Well, that’s just brilliant,” Scurry frowned, making a stomping motion with his missing leg causing him to stumble. Day six just started and I already have a feeling it wasn't going to end well either. “It’s not all bad,” Dicty shrugged, “White Light has been studying our kind for years now, he should be able to help us to some degree.” I was sitting in the shadows of the house that served as an impromptu hub listening to the meeting of the ‘leaders’; Dicty, Mantis, Scurry, Keratin, Spectrum, and another ling that joined us this morning representing the locals, Ponera, a massive she-ling that must have been using some growth spells. There is no way a changeling can get that big without being a royal. The meeting was taking place outside of the house, so we don’t wake Patch or Velvet. There were a few lings that tried to talk to the exhausted royal, but Ponera has been adamant that he takes proper rest. She is one of the few lings that eagerly welcomed Patchwork and his methods. I watched as she shifted causing her silver elytra to shimmer in the sun, “I do not care who comes so as long as they are willing to help,” Her heavy but smooth voice was loud enough that my ears twitched every time she spoke. “Of course, you would be all for it, I am not so willing to be ‘studied’ though. We need help to push through this not lessons,” Spectrum grumbled, and I could see Keratin agree with a nod and pursed lips. Out of six of them, Keratin was the least vocal, feeling better just following along and occasionally pitching in with a question. “I understand how you feel about it, Spectrum, but believe me when I say that White Light will help us,” Mantis, along with his sister, has been the biggest proponent of ponies helping out with the current situation. I honestly expected Scurry to be one of them, given what I was told about him, but, in his words, just getting helped for nothing is a bit suspicious. I kind of agree with him. “And he isn’t coming alone so that at least means that we have at least another group of ponies that would willingly share love with us,” Dicty was… her tone has been carrying an edge to it since yesterday. I didn’t get a chance to ask what was bothering her though. “The only reason I’m even on board with this and not making a ruckus is that the princess let our gatherers go there and get some love,” Spectrum didn’t look angry, but he certainly didn’t look pleased either. “I am more worried about what happens when the other stone drops; what will the ponies ask from us once all is said and done?” Scurry sat down and scratched at his stump while frowning. “What makes you think we will want anything? Maybe we just want to help for the sake of helping?” My ears twitched when all six of them looked at me, along with some other lings passing by that heard me. The meeting was hardly in a secret location; a bit of a mistake if you ask me. “That is a fair point, pony, but that is not how things work I'm afraid,” Ponera sent a sad little smile in my direction. I just shrugged and got more comfortable. ‘I’ll check on Patch in a minute, I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to him now,’ I looked up and behind me, at the window to the room he and Velvet shared for now. I made sure that I would be alerted the moment the door is touched, or magic is cast in the room with four sensor gems. I never go on a mission without them.   Patchwork I felt my nose and my antennae twitch before I even fully awoke. There was love in the air, literally. Opening my eyes, I was first greeted with Velvet’s sleeping face making me frown and hiss. I would have words with her the moment she wakes up, but first. Making sure that she was still asleep I rolled off the bed and, as quietly as I could, I left the room. Opening my senses fully, I tried to find the source of the love, because it did not feel like my Velvet usually does, there was a certain weight and maturity to it. I let my legs go on autopilot and lead me to the source. Out of the house I was in and the first thing I saw was changelings just sitting, eyes closed, and content look on their faces. Some of them had their wings quietly buzzing making the whole thing feel both eerie and magical at the same time. It kept me on edge, and I wasn’t sure what to think about this, but I certainly felt a healthy level of suspicion. Another wave of love passed through me, making the changeling next to me sigh happily. “Welcome back Patch, you better come and see this,” I recognized Drop’s voice coming close from my left. I turned around and followed her without looking while I watched the changelings… bathe in love. "How long was I out?" "Almost two days," she answered and I stumbled. "Two... Wow, I don't remember ever sleeping that long," I was honestly shocked and it caused me to nearly bump into several lings that were acting as almost hypnotized. Shaking off my surprise I started paying more attention to my surroundings and focused on this, abnormal, behavior. “When did this… trance start?” I asked, weaving between the transfixed lings. “About an hour ago, you’ll see why in a moment, let’s fly.” Drop spread her wings and took off and I followed after her, my eyes still scanning through my surroundings. The moment I gained some height I was able to see that the almost entire population was taken over by this, with only the nymphs being spared. Every single nymph I managed to see though was playing or exploring, like they were energized by something, dashing, no, galloping in every which way. “There,” I followed the pointed hoof and I almost dropped out of shock. Chrysalis was sitting on a roof of a love reservoir, swaying in the wind with her eyes closed and humming. She looked like a mess, emaciated, carapace still damaged, mane in tatters but the smile she wore was blinding. Tears were freely flowing from her eyes and mixing with the dry pink splotches all over her body, but she did not care. Another wave of love passed through me, and I became startlingly aware that I was on the same roof, sitting barely two meters away from her. My head was tilted to the side, and I could hear Drop giggling behind me. Chrysalis’s eyes fluttered open, her green eyes without a hint of malice; the humming stopped as the flow of love lessened to a trickle. “Hello, my son,” She smiled, happy tears still flowing, and I smiled in return.