//------------------------------// // Chapter 59 // Story: To Be a Changeling // by PlagueRat //------------------------------// Between the combination of going through her molt and the relaxing warmth of a nice long soak in the bath, Pupa was feeling extra tired by the time she and her mother returned to the royal living chambers. As soon as Chrysalis passed over the threshold she strode directly over to her second favorite piece of furniture in the hive, a plush chaise lounge upholstered in a shimmering emerald fabric. After lowering herself down upon it she motioned for her daughter to join her by tapping on a free section of cushion in front of herself with a hoof. Obediently Pupa trotted over and clambered up onto the indicated spot. “Lets brush your mane before you go to bed,” said Chrysalis, the tall crooked horn on her head already glowing as she channeled a spell through it. Carried aloft by a glowing field of green magic, a silver brush with soft white bristles levitated across the room, and began running through Pupa’s lengthy dark cerulean hair one section at a time. Once her mother felt satisfied that the job was properly completed, she tied up the nymph’s mane into a ponytail with a small length of black ribbon. “Why did you do that?” Pupa asked, never having her hair any other way than down. “Even before your molt your mane had been getting so long that I was worried you’d start treading on it,” explained Chrysalis, “so I asked Mosquito to fetch me something to tie it up with. And even though you’re a little taller now, it’s still very long; and since I already had the ribbon, I wanted to see how it would look anyway. You don’t like it?” “I like it,” said the nymph, reaching back with hoof to touch the ribbon, “but I like having it like yours too.” “Well, if you want to keep it down we’ll have to shorten it a bit,” said her mother, “so for now let’s keep it tied back.” “Okay,” nodded Pupa. A smile grew over Chrysalis’s lips and she leaned her head down to nuzzle her daughter’s cheek. “We have a big day tomorrow and we’ll need to leave early, so how about you retire for tonight,” her mother suggested, but it was intoned as more of an instruction. Almost like an involuntary reaction to being told to go to sleep early, the nymph pouted by sticking out her lower lip. “None of that,” said Chrysalis, using her snout to nudge the nymph. “Alright,” Pupa sighed as she hopped off the cushion and glided halfway to her personal chamber. The first thing Pupa spotted when she entered her room was the hoof sized black spider standing on the edge of her bed and facing her. Though the nymph’s eyes widened when she saw it, it was out of concern and not fear. “Oh!” Pupa gasped out, closing her door behind her. “Lady Lolth, I completely forgot to feed you today!” In response the arachnid twiddled her pedipalps and tapped her pointy front legs against the stone it stood on, making a minuscule ‘tak tak tak’ sound. “Calm down, I didn’t do it on purpose,” said the nymph defensively, “I was distracted because I was molting and it freaked me out.” Eight unblinking eyes stared back at Pupa. “What do you think?” asked the nymph, turning herself around in a full circle for Lady Lolth. “How do I look now with my new carapace?” The arachnid insistently tapped its legs again. “Ugh! Fine, fine!” Pupa sighed, trotting past her bed and the spider. “Come on then.” Pupa made her way to the back of the room where two small pillars of resin stood. Only slightly taller than herself, both had been crafted by the nymph for the head size web of white silk that hung in-between them. The spider followed quickly behind, skittering down the side of the bed, traveling across the floor and up one of the pillars.  “Cricket or Mealworm?” Pupa asked the arachnid. The spider answered by rubbing her front legs together. “Cricket it is,” said the nymph, turning to a wooden table and the pair of small glass terrariums that it held. Sitting back on her haunches, Pupa used her front hooves to lift the lid off of one of the containers. Using her magic, she snatched up a tan cricket and swiftly returned the covering before any of the other insects could hop out. “Where would you like it?” the nymph asked. Positioned just off-center on the web, Lady Lolth taped at a few strands below her and the insect’s fate was instantly sealed when Pupa pressed the cricket against the designated spot. Overpowering the little creature easily, the larger predator embraced it in her slender black legs and proceed to entomb it in a blanket of sticky silk. Though she had seen it happen many times now, the nymph watched with interest; but out of curiosity to acquire knowledge and not some voyeuristic pleasure to see the crickets last moments. In a similar manner, but through different means, changelings also wrapped up their prey and sometime in the not too distant future Pupa would be learning this talent herself. “Pupa,” her mother called out from the other side of the door, causing the nymph to jump as she was startled out of her train of thought, “what are you doing in there?” “I was just feeding Lady Lolth,” the young changeling said loudly. “I’m getting into bed now.” The next morning Pupa woke her peacefully slumbering mother by utilizing the same method that most young creatures have done to their parents throughout the ages; by climbing on top of her and being annoying. “Mooooom,” the nymph whispered, “are you awake?” A long groan came from her mother as she rolled over, causing Pupa to stumble off of her blanketed form and tumbled back onto the bed. Undeterred, the nymph rose to her hooves and braced her front legs atop the larger changeling so she could pull herself back up again. “Mom,” Pupa said, buzzing her little wings quickly and making even more of a racket. “Mom?” “Pupa,” mumbled Chrysalis. “What are you doing?” “I’m trying to wake you up,” said the nymph, “so we can head to the city.” “It’s too early,” her mother said. “You said we have to leave early,” reminded Pupa. “Not this early…” Chrysalis hissed, cracking an eye open to look up at the beaming nymph. “Come-on,” whined Pupa as she lifted into the air on her little translucent wings and dragging her mother’s blanket away in her hooves. “Pupa,” her mother grumbled before releasing a defeated chuckle at the nymph’s antics, “I’ll get up in a few minutes, go get something to eat and I’ll catch up with you shortly...” Victorious, Pupa released the blanket from her grasp, proceeded to fly in figure eights around the chambers stalactites and then zoomed out into the hallway; but halfway there, when she zipped past Odonate, a field of magic surrounded her and she was stopped immediately. “My apologies princess Pupa,” said the gravelly voiced guard, turning around to face her and bowing respectfully, “I know you’re excited about today’s excursion but you aren’t thinking about leaving the hive without an escort, are you?” “I’m not,” the nymph said, fidgeting and using her own magic to try and break free of his hold. “I’m getting something to eat before we leave.” “The last time you went alone into the pantry you knocked over a container of grasshoppers and we had to spend an entire day collecting them,” Odonate pointed out. “That was a long time ago and I was just a nymph when I did that,” Pupa defended herself. “It was twelve days ago,” the guard said, keeping his expression neutral, “and you’re still considered a nymph, despite your molt. Shall I accompany you?” “No, I’ll be fine,” Pupa huffed, crossing her front legs over her chest. After a moment of studying Pupa’s sour countenance, Odonate slowly lowered the nymph down to the floor and terminated his spell, releasing her. “Very well,” the guard bowed again and continued along in the direction he came from. “Please excuse me.” Once Odonate had rounded the corner, and was thus out of eyesight, Pupa turned her head and tail up, resuming her journey to the pantry with an imperious poise. After a minute however she dropped her conceded façade and impishly pranced the remainder of the way.