//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: A mother's choice and consequences // by Punsz //------------------------------// Twilight and I both poked our heads through the door to see all five of her friends gathering around something. I recognized a familiar chirping noise coming from amongst the ponies. “What is it?” “Is this one of Twilights experiments?” “Whatever it is it’s looks adorable!” “Adorable… sugar cube if I knew any better I say this was… a Changeling!” After that was said all five ponies took a step back. “A changeling; but it’s so… cute.” A yellow Pegasus said, her long pink mane covering half of her face. “Don’t forget that them changelings can take the shape and form of anyone! I reck’en we take this here changeling and see if he or she will talk.” I saw Chirp looking up at the five ponies probably not understanding a single word they were saying. As she looked around searching for something, her eyes caught a rainbow frosted cupcake on a nearby table. As the five mares talked about what they should do with the filly changeling, Chirp made her way to the cupcake. The cyan Pegasus noticed her attempt to reach for the cupcake and swiftly as she could picked her up and held her aloft by her back legs. “Where do you think you’re going?” She asked, eyeing the little changeling. Chirp struggled in her grasp, trying to pry herself free from the cyan Pegasus. “Why are you hiding in this silly disguise huh? Come on!” The Pegasus started to raise her voice which scared Chirp. “Are you a spy huh? Are you here to take Ponyville now huh?” She yelled accusingly into Chirp’s face. Chirp, being a filly, was now scared out of her wits thinking that she was in danger, and did the only thing she could do. Tears were starting to form in her eyes as her lips started quivering. “Hey what are you..?” The Pegasus was interrupted by a loud high pitched cry; everyone in the room covered their ears trying to block out the crying changelings cries, with the cyan Pegasus dropping Chirp to the floor. I couldn’t stand by any longer and I rushed out through the door not caring if all five of these ponies saw me. I quickly moved to Chirp’s side and picked her up, starting to comfort her. “Shhh, shhh, hush child, it is all right.” I cooed into her ear. Her crying mellowed down a bit and turned into small sniffs and hiccups. My back was turned from all five of the ponies as I comforted my small child. I heard a small nervous chirp coming from my shoulder, and I turned my gaze to see Chirp nuzzling my shoulder to seek what little comfort such a gesture could offer. “CHRYSALIS..!” I heard five different set of voices behind me yell all at once. I finally turned around to see the orange and cyan ponies glaring daggers at me spitefully, the yellow Pegasus covering behind the first two and the strange pink mare drinking from a cup of punch, but quickly spitting it out. For a moment, the world was at a standstill. Twilight stepped between the group and me, trying to ease the tension in the room. “Twilight what is she doing here?!” The cyan Pegasus shouted. “Yeah, ain’t she the one who mind controlled your big brother and foalnapped and disguised as his fiancée?” Twilight looked back at me before returning her gaze to her friends. “Yes I know, but you see,” before she could finish her sentence she was cut off by her friends. “You know we’re supposed to turn all them changelings in to the royal guard!” “Yes I know but,” she was cut off again. “Then why is that crazed love sucking monster here in your house?!” Twilight angrily stomped a hoof on the ground. “Would all just be quiet and let me talk!” At this they all fell silent, allowing their lavender unicorn friend to talk. Taking a deep breath Twilight started to explain her reasons as to why she saved me and my children and kept me a secret. “So you all see, nopony should be treated like animals, locked up in cages and imprisoned for the rest of their lives.” She finished after what felt like hours. Everypony in the room was quiet, and the cyan Pegasus tried to think of an argument against her friend but seemed to give up after failing to come up with anything substantial. “I don’t know… I still don’t trust her.” The cyan Pegasus said. “Yeah, I agree with Rainbow Dash sugar cube.” The orange cow pony said. “It’s just that, well, after all she’s done it’s really hard for me to trust her.” “She’s right darling, she did after all try to take Canterlot by force.” Added the marshmallow colored mare. “Are you sure we can actually trust her?” After listening to them argue and debate whether or not to turn me in I grew irritated; who do they think they are, arguing like they were the hands of faith? “Enough of this; I will not stand around here and gamble my children’s futures with your arguments.” I picked up Chirp and put her on my back, stomping past the six ponies and entering the room where Chirp’s brother rested. I walked up to the bed to see if I could pick him up or not, but something was wrong. Something was very wrong. “He’s not breathing!” I shouted out the door. After a moment of panicked clattering, all six mares entered the room, with Twilight being the first and her pace the most hastened. “He’s not breathing, what’s wrong with him?!” Twilight examined him closely see if she could do anything. “I don’t know I don’t know anything about treating a sick changeling.” She said. She looked up at the yellow Pegasus who was peeping over the cyan one’s shoulder. “Fluttershy can you help him? You’re the only one of us even close to being a doctor.” The yellow Pegasus pulled her hair down over her face. “I don’t know really....” She mumbled, not looking at the lavender unicorn. “I’ve… never helped a changeling before...” I moved over to her and stood right in front of her; as she started to cower under me her friends got into an apparently combat ready stance, thinking that I might lash out at her. Instead of yelling and forcing her to help as I usually would, I did something that I thought I would never do. I pleaded. “Please help him.” I said holding her hoofs and bowing my head. I was begging for this young changeling’s life as if my status as queen never existed. “Please he and his sister are all I have left of my children.” Tears started to form on my face; I could feel them snake across my cheek. “I am a mother who lost almost all of her children and may probably never see them again.” I quietly sobbed on her hooves waiting for her answer. “Please…” She slowly pulled her hooves from my grip, and I looked up to see her hair moved away from her face. Tears were forming in her eyes. "I'm… sorry." She breathed before she moved past her friends and out the door. I couldn't move, my legs would not shift, my body paralyzed as she fled. I looked up at the others who stood around me. "Will anyone help, please?!" One by one the ponies left the house quietly the last one to leave was the orange mare who pulled down her Stetson to cover her face and walked out the library. The only one left was Twilight and I felt my body shaking. My mind was filled with rage and pain as tears ran down my face. I felt a hoof on my shoulder and I gazed to its owner, the only one yet to abandon us; Twilight. "Will you leave too?!" I screamed, my loud tone flooded with the pain and anguish that shook me to my core. She took a few steps back, a bit shaken from my words. "No, I said I would help you." She replied. With a deliberate pace, she stepped over to the bed, sitting next to my changeling child. "I'll do all I can, that's all I can say." She affirmed. Her horn started to glow as she cast a spell to attempt to bring the changeling back to me. I sat on the floor, waiting whatever it was that fate found it within his heart to bring.