Cheersalis
Chrysalis was standing on one of the many terraces carved within the Spire, a monumental obsidian column connecting the ground level of the vast subterranean dwelling to its ceiling. Being the most central point towering over the entire Hive, the Spire was considered her ‘palace’ from which she could oversee all clusters – changeling equivalents of small communities – scattered across the cave. While some of them were nothing but sets of natural cavities adapted to changelings’ needs, others, raised down below on the steady ground resembled small aboveground villages with actual buildings and highly organized structure.
The Hive itself was pretty organized as well – through paint and shining luminite crystals, the clusters were standing out against the otherwise dark cave, marked by different colors to indicate which of the Seven Castes happened to have the majority there. And so green clusters were populated mainly by Tenders, blue by Warriors, orange by Makers and so on. If any changeling required more food he had to inquire in the green one, and if he wanted to commission a sculpture, one of the orange-eyed Makers was sure to help him. Of course all changelings were free to choose where they lived so there were no ‘pure’ clusters and each of those small communities had a tint of different talents.
There were more clusters than castes, so the view from the Spire consisted of dozens of colorful lights glimmering in the distance, forming a vivid picture in no way inferior to aboveground cityscapes.
“If I wanted to disarray the Hive, where would I begin?” Chrysalis silently asked herself. “The busiest cluster, of course.”
She glanced down at a particularly active orange village, one clearly dominated by Makers. The changelings of that caste were excellent artists: poets, singers, sculptors and more. They were responsible for the cultural growth of the Hive which they were achieving by spreading their ideas amongst others and coming up with reasons to celebrate. Hatchday, First Transformation, Ceremony of Names – changelings owed those opportunities to meet and socialize to the Maker Caste.
Chrysalis took a running start and jumped off the edge of the terrace, but it was no longer her who was falling freely along the Spire. With a quick flash of green light she altered her appearance to look like an average Worker. It was probably for the best – her usual form would draw too much attention and since she wasn't sure what other destructive abilities her duplicate could possess, she decided for a more subtle approach. She didn’t want to risk a showdown in the middle of a cluster.
Disguised Chrysalis extended her wings and slowed down her descent, taking a closer look at the village. Dozens of changelings were constantly arriving from all directions, many of them carrying food, supplies and various decorations. Those who were already on the ground were chattering nervously, gathered around a massive, flat boulder – a kind of stage on which two changelings were standing close to each other.
She spotted a place to land near a changeling with silver eyes. A Thinker, perfect! That caste consisted of teachers, scholars and researchers who were known from not really engaging in conversations not connected to their field of study, but if inquired about a specific thing they would always answer to the best of their knowledge.
“Greetings, Ezu,” Chrysalis said to the Thinker. She didn’t know his name – she wasn’t even sure if that particular changeling had male or female personality – but in situations like this it was socially acceptable to refer to your interlocutor by the caste prefix of his name. “What are we celebrating today?”
“It’s the Joining of two Naris,” a simple, male-sounding response came.
For someone not familiar with changeling societies that probably sounded like gibberish, or at least like some kind of foreign language, but Chrysalis deciphered it easily. If she wanted to explain it to a, say, Equestrian envoy, she’d probably say that they were in the middle of a wedding ceremony of two female changelings of the Maker Caste.
“Why the commotion? Everybody looks tense,” she observed.
“It appears there was a miscommunication and the master of ceremonies isn’t here. I’m afraid all the organizational effort will be for nothing.”
So they were missing a changeling specializing in performing such ceremonies. Traditionally a Speaker was preferred, but technically any respected changeling – for example the eldest one in a given cluster – could replace him. Even queens could do that if necessary.
“Sorry I’m late!” a booming voice resounded from the stage, immediately silencing the buzzing crowd. “Let the Joining commence!”
Chrysalis looked towards the stage and felt a sudden dizziness. Her orange-maned duplicate was standing there, right next to the pair of brides, with a ceremonial white sash wrapped around her neck like a scarf. If she wanted to strike in the middle of a wedding ceremony it was really low of her!
Admittedly, that would be exactly the thing Chrysalis had done back then in Canterlot. How quaint.
“Hello everyone!” the duplicate addressed the slightly baffled crowd. “I am… uh… actually, you probably wouldn’t know me, anyway, because I just returned from a trip to another Hive. It’s far, far away from here and it’s called… uh… it’s called Changeling Hive Dontask reigned peacefully by the Queen Dontell. You probably never heard of that, either.”
Chrysalis rolled her eyes and started making her way through the crowd. There surely was some counter spell for that duplication magic, but she needed to capture the impostor first… as much as she hated crushing another wedding.
“But today isn’t about me! Today should be about them!” the duplicate said and pointed at the two changeling brides. “I heard that these two are pretty close and that you lacked a Speaker to conduct the ceremony. But we couldn’t let such inconvenience stand in a way of true love, could we?”
The changeling crowd buzzed in agreement. The duplicate cleared her throat and raised her hoof, signaling that the introductory part was over. She stepped in between the brides.
“We are gathered here today to witness the Joining of these two changelings,” she began. “Although we differ little on the outside we are all unique in our hearts and souls. We are defined by the gifts we posses and the virtues we lack,” she turned to the brides. “You two are finding completeness in each other’s embrace and traits, and it is my honor to formalize your relationship. Raise your right hooves.”
They did what was asked of them, then the duplicate sparkled her horn with red magic. Chrysalis’ heart began to pound. Was it starting? But she wasn’t at the stage yet! Her gentle squeezing through the crowd became much more desperate.
The duplicate untied the knot on her neck and wrapped the hooves of two brides together with the white sash, guiding it through one of the holes on each changelings’ foreleg.
“Nari-Neema, will you have this changeling to be your wife? Will you love her, stand by and honor her and remain faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”
“I will,” one of the brides said with a smile.
“And you, Nari-Rayya, will you have this changeling to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort and care for her and remain faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”
“I will!” the other bride almost shouted with excitement.
Chrysalis reached the edge of the crowd. She was mere meters from her duplicate and she was ready to drop her disguise and strike her would-be assistant down any second now… although she was wondering why the other changeling didn’t release her weaponized love yet.
And then she saw it. The look in the brides’ orange eyes.
Although changeling eyes weren’t very complex and had no apparent distinction for irises and pupils, they could express strong emotions as good as ponies and other aboveground species did. And that look carried particularly strong and visible emotions: those two of her subjects were in love, focusing entirely on each other, oblivious to anything that could happen to them. They had no idea that they were standing next to a changeling that could ruin their lives!
Hearing that in her mind, Chrysalis hesitated. Was the duplicate really the one trying to ruin their lives? Their lives were about here and now, after all, and so far it was Chrysalis herself who wanted to mess with the Hive life and ceremony, not the impostor – she was actually actively participating in it and helping the subjects to grow.
Like a perfect assistant, she was performing a task that Chrysalis could never find time for.
“By the power vested in me by our Queen Chrysalis,” the duplicate glanced around the crowd, stopping at a certain yellow-eyed Worker standing in confusion in the first row. “I now pronounce you wives! You may now kiss each other!”
The two newlyweds did just that, throwing their traditional bouquets composed of underground herbs into the crowd, much to everyone’s merriment. The whole congregation was buzzing with positive emotions and joy. Those who personally knew the married changelings came to congratulate them, all others began setting a dance area, arranging tables and distributing food and beverages around the cluster.
Chrysalis did none of that. Instead, she approached her duplicate who was folding the white sash. She dropped her disguise and stood face to face with her warped reflection.
“You know what I know,” she said. “So you know that the spell shouldn’t have created… you.”
“I knew that from the very moment I appeared in our study, Chryssi,” the duplicate replied. “I realized that I wasn’t the assistant I… uh, you… no, that doesn’t work either. Ekhm. I wasn’t the assistant that we wanted, so I assumed that you were going to… undo me.”
“Quite correctly.”
“I got scared… no, queens don’t get scared. I felt… alarmed. I am you, but I am different,” she said. “I’m feeling an urge to spend time with the subjects, something you always wanted to do more often. I also find myself… easily distracted. And I didn’t expect some aspects of my magic, like teleportation, to be toxic. We didn’t foresee that.”
“Teleportation is dangerous, but your telekinesis seems fine,” Chrysalis said, assuming a pensive expression. “Maybe the components of the spell were wrong. Perhaps I overdid with the luminite? The book wasn’t clear enough on that one.”
“Maybe,” the other one said, taking the same pondering look on her face. “We may never know.” She pointed up towards the Spire. “Oh, look, the Equestrians have already arrived.”
Chrysalis turned around to see a golden, pegasus-drawn carriage landing on one of the terraces. So soon? The ponies couldn’t do anything according to the schedule, now could they?
“You should go and sign that treaty,” the duplicate said. “I can’t do that, I have my mind full of things other than diplomacy and foreign relations. But you should totally do it,” she nodded at the already dancing newlyweds. “For them. They could spend their honeymoon in Canterlot.”
“Can I trust you?” Chrysalis asked.
“Would you trust yourself?”
“Of course not.”
“See?” the duplicate smirked and nudged Chrysalis. “We’re already getting along. I think that I’ll be a perfect assistant that we… that you… always wanted.”
Initially reluctant, Chrysalis realized that she got what she wanted: she could now be in two places at once. One Chrysalis could return to the Spire and host the envoy because it was a necessary thing to do, and the other could stay with the subjects because it was the right thing to do. After all, having another, slightly different version of herself was just like having… a sister – supposedly, because the changelings had no such concept.
“One, take care of the party,” Chrysalis said. “Two, don’t come near the Spire until the Equestrians sign the treaty and leave. Three… we’ll sort this out later,” Chrysalis said and flew back towards the Spire.
About halfway to the top she turned around to glance at the orange cluster once more. Her new assistant was helping to decorate the area, hanging colorful banners and flying with streamers around the stalagmites, all of that while dropping small amounts of glitter and confetti on heads of the partying changelings.
Perhaps it wasn’t exactly how she’d express care for her subject if she was down there instead, but everybody seemed upbeat enough, which was more than any of Chrysalises could ever ask for.