//------------------------------//
// Exchange 
// Story: Exchange 
// by Murba 
//------------------------------//

	Every second that passed seemed to go on slower than the last. The living room was void of any noise; silence ruled over the area. If one were two walk in blind, there would be no telling that there were people inside.
On one side of the room sat a man on a couch, his hands clasped in a prayer-like fold positioned in front of his face. He sat motionless, breathing slow breaths into his closed hands. Once in a while one of his legs would shake out of nervousness, but once that stopped he sat as still as a statue.
On the other side of the room was a women, her body leaning against the wall. Her fingernails kept tapping on the wall behind in a rhythmic notion similar to the clock in the living room that ticked the seconds away. Unlike the man, her body was anything but motionless. Her shoulders shook constantly and her hands were either tapping the wall or wiping away tears from her eyes.
Eventually, the man got up from his motionless state. “I knew this was a bad idea,” he whispered.
The woman immediately went up to him and grasped both of his shoulders. “Honey, please,” she choked, “we’re out of options here.”
He shook his head, “I-I know, but is it even worth it?”
The woman lowered her head, “I don’t know.” She looked up again and moved her hands to his face. His brown hair had been messier than usual and her fingers rubbed his unshaven face. She too was is bad shape, but they both suffered equally. “But we won’t have another chance like this.”
The man said nothing, instead moving his arms around his wife and embracing her. She too copied his gesture and the living room was quiet again, save for the occasional hiccup or sniff from the two.
The silence was broken by a knocking on the door. The couple broke their embrace and looked towards the source of the noise. The two didn’t make any attempt to answer the door.
Again, the knocking sounded. 
“I’ll get it,” the man whispered to his wife. He slowly walked to the door, his wife loosely holding onto his arm until he was out of reach. Once he was at the door, he checked the peephole. He looked back at his wife and nodded. She placed her hand above her mouth and stood motionless. The man undid the lock on the door and, with a deep breath, opened it.
Outside stood another man, this one older looking than the husband. He was clean shaven with his hair was almost buzzed and was adorned in a dark grey jacket with a lighter grey suit underneath. He had a few wrinkles on top of his forehead, but other than that was clear of any other signs of aging.
The suited man extended his hand, “Good evening, Thomas.” He spoke with an accent that was, to the best of their knowledge, unknown to the couple.
The man called Thomas stuck his hand out as well and loosely shook it. “Evening.” Thomas walked back a few steps and made a motion with his right hand, “She’s right here.”
The man walked inside and immediately set his eyes on the woman, who still stood with her hand grasped over her mouth. “Good evening Maria, I-“
The woman, called Maria, turned away from the man. Thomas intervened immediately, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Please, this is hard on both of us.”
The man turned back to Thomas, his expression blank. “I understand. Forgive me if I seem a bit too formal. I know that this is a…,” he turned to Maria, “…troubling time for the both of you.”
Thomas gave a small nod and his wife still wouldn’t turn. 
“Now then,” the man place his hands behind his back and turned back to Thomas, “I know that this is a difficult decision for you to make, but time is short and I can’t wait around much longer. Right now I need answer.”
“I…” Thomas tried to speak, though all that came out of his mouth was aching sigh. He bit his lower lip and turned back to his wife, who was now fully facing the two of them. Both husband and wife looked at each other, both waiting for one to answer. Tearfully, Marie nodded to her husband. Thomas nodded back. 
He looked back at the man who was starting to look a little impatient. “Well?” the man asked, “What is your answer?”
Thomas’s mouth quivered, “We…we’ll go with it.” Inside, his heart felt like it had fallen into a dark, deep cavern miles deep. He felt empty inside, knowing what is decision meant. 
The man nodded in agreement, “Very well, if you would please bring her we can proceed immediately.”
Thomas turned back to back to his wife, who was now sobbing with her hand still on her mouth. He felt like he was about to be the same way pretty soon. “Maria, can you…can you please get her?”
Marie nodded quickly and rushed behind the two men and made her way upstairs. Thomas couldn’t help but keep his eyes locked on the stairs his wife ascended. His concentration was broken only by the hand placed on his shoulder.
“Listen,” the man said, “There is absolutely nothing you need to worry about.” He now placed both hands on Thomas’s shoulder, “I understand that you are going through a rough time, but believe me when I say that everything will work out in the end. This night will be a rough one, but in the future it will be just one of those painful memories that will fade away.”
Thomas shook his head, “I-I haven’t even known you for more than a week. I thought you were some bullshit crony but…the things you showed me…I can’t even…,” he turned his head up and sniffed and blinked a few times. “I just don’t what to think.”
“I assure you, I have met many other couple who were like you and with every time they ended up happier than they were before. I can assure you that everything will be just fine and-.” Before he could finish the man looked back up at the stairs and Thomas followed suit.
Marie slowly walked down carefully carrying down something wrapped carefully in a beige blanket. She stroked whatever was inside the blanket and kept shushing it. Thomas’s breaths started to labor as he looked at what his wife was holding.
Once she was at the foot of the stairs, the two men were able to get a good look at what she was holding. Inside a wrappings of the blanket was baby, no more than a few months old. Its body was shaking a little that even the warmness of its blanket couldn’t stop and it gave short, struggling breaths. Both parents’ faces looked crestfallen at this sight. Even the man showed a frown.
“We should probably leave now,” he said. “Time is of the essence and the sooner we arrive, the sooner this will all be over.”
Thomas wrapped his arm around his wife, his expression not changing in the slightest. “C’mon, we need to go now.”	 
The man left through the doorway and Thomas soon followed, leading his wife who had not taken her eyes off of their baby. 
Outside on the street was black four door car waiting for them. The man walked up to the vehicle and opened up the rear door for the couple. Maria got in first, her husband following second. Once inside, the man closed the door proceeded to the driver’s side. He got in, started the car up, and proceeded to drive.
Silence had overtaken the vehicle, hardly any words were spoken. The only noise came from the humming of the car engine and the occasional cough from the couple’s baby. Both parents kept their eyes locked on their sickly daughter. Her eyes remained closed, not opening even a little bit. She still continued to shiver even though the car itself was a little warm inside. Occasionally the man would look back at the couple through the rear-view mirror, though said nothing.
For anyone else, it would have seemed crazy to get into a stranger’s car and take their infant daughter somewhere they didn’t even know. But for the couple, they were out of options. Doctor after doctor said that there was nothing they could do and that the best course of action would have been to make her comfortable for her last days.
But they wouldn’t give up, they refused to accept that this was the end of such an early life and tried to find anything that would help. Then one day, while they were searching on the internet for any treatment, the man in the dark grey coat came to their door.
He didn’t give his name, but he had explained that he had heard of what happened to the couple and expressed his condolences. He explained that he worked for an organization, one that was unknown to the rest of the world. He told them that there was a way, free of charge, that his organization could save their daughter. 
At first, the couple thought that he was some kind of scammer trying to trick them. Thomas had ordered the man to leave immediately, but the man simply stood still. Before Thomas could usher out another threat, something happened instantly. It was something that they still could not explain.
A green flash had overtaken the man, causing the couple to avert their eyes. Once the flash was gone, the two stood in silence. Standing in front of them was Thomas. Another Thomas. He had the same features, the same clothes, even the same birthmark on his left hand. While the two of them struggles to figure out what had just happened, the green flash appeared again and the man returned.
With the two of then still in a state of shock, he explained that he was someone special, and the organization that he belonged to was fully of special people and that they had the abilities to make their daughter healthy again. He didn’t go into too much detail but it was enough for the couple to understand. Or at least, as much as they could understand, given that the process was unlike anything they had ever heard before.
The man told the couple that he would give them a few days to decide and he would return then. They still stood in awe by what they had seen and heard, not sure of what to think. Before he left, the man told them one more thing.
“Do you believe in magic? You should know that it is real and it is more powerful than you think.”
For Thomas and Maria, magic was the only thing they could rely on right now. All their options has run dry and their prayers unanswered. All they could do now was hope that this stranger could give them one last chance.
The car began to slow down and eventually stopped. The two looked out their respective windows and saw that they were outside of a community park. With it being almost ten o’clock, the park was practically deserted.
The man got out of the car and opened up the door for Maria; Thomas opened the door on his side and got out.
“Now follow me,” the man told them once they had both gotten out. They did as they were told and followed him to the park. Once they entered, the followed the concrete path that seemed to enter into darkness. The man reached into his coat pocket and took out a flashlight, illuminating the walkway. 
Both Thomas and Marie walked close by, his arm around his wife’s shoulder and her arms supporting their baby. The darkness of the park made it seem like they were walking through a haunted forest where any creature could pop out attack them. They both tried their best to ignore any fears they had and focused on following the man. The thing they were most afraid of, though, was the cool air doing damage to their sick daughter.
The walk wasn’t long at all, for the man stopped after a few minutes. They stood at a part of the walkway that formed a circle with a large object at the center of the path. Though it was dark out, they could tell from the outline that it was probably a statue of a horse.
“Now before we proceed,” the man told them, facing them, “There are a few things we need to go over.”
He raised his index, “First, wherever I go, you must follow me. What you will see may confuse you, but you must,” he put extra emphasis on the last word, “keep close to me. Do not wander off or even stray a few meters from me.”
He raised another finger, “Secondly, you must not show fear when you meet the ones I work for. To say that they are different than you would be an understatement. You are free to think of them however you like, but you must not use any derogatory language to refer them as or say anything that might insult them. You are as much a stranger to them as they are to you.”
He raised one more finger, “Finally, the leader is one of upmost importance to me and the followers. Whatever gestures I do to show her respect, you must do as well. She is the one that will save your daughter and, thus, will be the last chance you have at saving her. Now then, are my rules understood?”
The couple both nodded, though they were deeply confused. They had thought, at first, that they were simply meeting a group of people who had some kind of power to save their daughter. But now they were being told that these group of individuals were so different from them that they might actually cast fear onto them.
“Very well,” said the man, “Follow me.”
He proceeded to walk towards the base of the statue and the two of them followed, not sure what he was planning. From the way he was walking towards it, it looked like he was about to collide with the base. Yet he didn’t.
He phased right through it.
The couple both froze instantly. They looked at each other, as if asking if they both saw what they thought they saw.
“Did…did he just…?” Thomas asked. But before he could continue, a hand shot out from the base, causing the two of them to jump back from the scare. 
Their baby made a small noise from the sudden jump, but remained silent after.
The hand waved at them, signaling for them to come along. Nervous, the two of them slowly walked towards the base of the statue, stopping only inches from touching it.
Thomas extended his hand and slowly went to touch the base. He hand touched nothing. Not willing to extend this any further, he bluntly said to his wife “C’mon.”
Together, the couple walked slowly through the base before completely disappearing from the park. 
==============================================================================
Immediately after passing through, what they saw made them freeze instantly.
In front of them was a huge, roaming landscape consisting of jagged hills and deep canyons. While it may have been late at night back at the park, the sky here took on an orange hue with no sun or moon visible through the thick clouds. The dimness of the surrounding area gave the jagged hills a silhouetted appearance made them resemble giant spikes protruding from the ground.
Instead of the concrete path that they had been following previously, now before them was a rough, stony walkway that was filled with dust and rocks. What was scarier was just how thin the walkway was, for it seemed to slope off at the edges into a dark abyss down below.
For the couple, it seemed like they had entered some sort Hell or maybe some post-apocalyptic setting, for they thought that there was no way anyone could call this home.
They stood still, frozen in place from the shock of being presented such a sight. Thomas tried to say something, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was ragged breaths. Maria held her baby tight, tighter than ever before. It was as if she was protecting her from some unknown danger that was lurking in these dark hills.
They both looked back behind them, trying to find the way they came here. Laying behind them, on the face of a tall rock in the middle of the ground, was some sort of mirror. It had an encrusted border in the shape of an oval and, instead of the pale stone from the statue base, they could clearly see their own reflection despite the dimness in the air. 
They saw that both of them had turned a sickly pale, a lighter shade than even their own daughter was. Their eyes, wide and fidgety, made them look like they had seen some sort of monster that was about to pounce. 
Instant regret came upon Maria. She clutched her baby tight, not daring to let one finger slip. She had wanted to save her baby, but didn’t know that they would be traveling to some hellhole just to get the help they needed. She feared that it wasn’t going to be the disease that killed her baby, but something in these lands that would do the job.
She turned to her husband, who was now looking at her with the same type of fear in his eyes as she had in hers. Again, he tried to say something, but no words came out. 
Instead, she turned to the man who had his back turned to the couple and, seemingly, taking in the landscape.
“H-h-hey…,” she whispered, though it seemed not to reach the man, who was still looking away. “H-hey!” she said, this time a little louder.
This time he did hear her and turned his head back, not saying anything.
She started getting agitated, “W-where the hell are we?” Her voice was still shaking.
The man took in a deep breath through his nose and faced the landscape again, “I understand that you are confused right now. Believe me, I would be too had someone just suddenly took me to some strange land outside of my own dimension.”
This time it was Thomas to spoke, “W-what the fuck are you talking about!?” He sounded both scared and angry.
The man answered, not turning his head at the slightest, “There are many things I can tell you about this place, though I think that would be a waste of time. Chances are that this will be the only time in your natural born lives that you’ll ever be here.” He turned his body around, facing the scared couple, “Though the road ahead may seem terrifying, this is the path that we must walk if we are to save your daughter. You may have fears about this place and you might not even wish to continue on, but you must.”
“For your daughter, you must follow me. Remember what I said, do not stray far from me and, also, do not try to think too much of this place. Like I said earlier, my organization is different from what you are used to, but so is the land they live in.”
He turned his body back around, “Now follow me, the sooner we get his done, the sooner you can leave this place.”
To say that the couple was reluctant to follow him was an understatement. But, they thought, he did one good point. If there was something in this desolate land that could help cure their daughter, then their own fears could not, and would not, be the cause for her demise.
Blocking all warnings from their minds and forcing their own bodies to move, they slowly stated walking.
Unlike the darkness that obscured the walkway back the park, the stony path was light to where the three could easily walk it without fear of falling off into the abyss down below. The couple, both huddled together, stayed close to the man, just as he had told them. 
And unlike the short walk before, the trek to their destination here seemed to stretch out for a long time. The two didn’t know how long it would take to get to their destination, so they had no idea of just how far or close they were.
“Now before we reach out destination,” the man suddenly spoke, “There is one more thing I forgot to mention. Are you listening?”
“Yeah,” Thomas spoke and Maria nodded.
“Now then, the process in which they will use to cure your daughter will be…unusual. Chances are that you won’t be seeing it, so there is no problem in that. But they will need to take your daughter for a little while in order for the process to work. I suspect that it won’t take more than an-“
“Wait,” Maria interrupted, “why do they need to take her away? Why can’t we be with her? You never said anything about taking her away!” She started getting defensive.
The man let out a noticeable sigh, “It’s because of the fact that they need complete concentration in order for the process to go right. They cannot afford one slip-up or there would be disastrous consequences. You being there would only be a burden.”
Thomas took this as an insult, not being able to be with his daughter while some strangers did god-knows-what to her. But something else was on his mind. “What do you mean by ‘disastrous consequences’?”
Again, the man sighed. “The process involves a procedure that the people in your world have only dreamed about yet never achieved. It is also incredible risky, but the individuals who perform it have done so for decades with no problems what so ever.”
He let out a small chuckle, “They were just starting out the procedure when they saved my life, and here I am today.”
So many questions coursed through the couple’s minds. What did he mean by ‘your world’? What would happen if, god forbid, something did bad happen? And how did these strangers save this man’s life?
Before they could ask him, he spoke. “We’re here.”
Whatever questions they had, they were put aside when the man told them they had arrived. Standing in front of them was tall opening to a cave with lanterns adorning the walls. They hung loose on wires going deep into the cave with the assortment going from bright at the entrance to a dim spark farther down.
“This is the place?” Thomas asked.
The man nodded. “I suspect that you were expecting someplace more professional, were you not.”
Thomas shook his head, “At this point I don’t even what to expect.”
“Well then,” the man replied, “Let’s just say that the inhabitants of the land find our tactics to be…unethical, to say the least. That is why we must do this procedure in the badlands, where we can perform them in secrecy.”
“Why is it what you do considered unethical?” Maria asked.
The man pursed his lips, “It just is. Many of the pon-people consider various practices to be unnatural and any who do perform them are scrutinized for it.” He raised his right hand, “We, on the other hand, consider it progress and, accordingly, we should do what is right for the people and not what is morally right.”
All the alarms in Maria’s and Thomas’s head started ringing to get out this as fast as possible. That this was too dangerous and that this would be a decision that they would regret forever. They both knew that this was a bad idea and that anyone would criticize them for even just going into the man’s car, unsure of where they were going.
Their baby’s sudden cough shut down those alarms. It was a tiny one, but it was enough to send shivers down their spines. Maria patted her baby’s back, “Shh, its okay.”
“Now then,” the man said, “Before we go in, remember what I told you. Do not be alarmed by their appearances, and if you are scared, try your best to hide it and not say anything that would insult them. Now, follow me.”
The three entered the lantern-lit cave, the couple lagging a little bit behind but keeping up the pace. Their walk into the cave was consisted of nothing but the hard ground on their feet and the endless lines of lanterns on the walls. It only took about a minute for the passageway to open up.
They walked a few steps forward until the man signaled them to stop. The walls seemed to open up to a rotunda-like formation, though it was mostly barren. Despite the use of only lanterns, the rotunda was surprisingly well lit. The room had multiple corridors branching from the rotunda with the lines of lanterns following suit. In front of them stood a hard metal door, closed off to anyone.
Before with Thomas or Maria could ask why stopped, the man took a few steps forward but held his hand out the couple, signaling them not to follow.
He raised his head and called out, “My Queen! I have returned along with people who wish to receive your treatment.”
A queen? Thomas thought to himself, confused. What kind of organization is thing?
Immediately, the man turned on his heels and quickly went back to the couple, standing next to Thomas so that, together, they formed a line.
“Follow my gesture,” he whispered. Immediately, he got down on one knee, positioned his right arm across his chest, and lowered his head.
The couple both questioned why was bowing, but they followed suit anyway and imitated his gesture. Maria, with her baby in both arms, simply kneeled and lowered her head. They were both facing the ground, unsure of what was happening. 
All the sudden, a buzzing sound started to be heard. It sounded like a large fly had entered and was heading towards them. The buzzing got louder and as it was descending towards the three, a couple more buzzing sounds were heard that were of a lesser volume.
The couple’s hearts began to race, questioning what was coming towards them. They were already afraid of this place, and what they were even more afraid of was something that lurked in the shadows that could attack them. Something landed in front of them and the buzzing stopped completely. Thomas couldn’t help but move his eyes up and see what was in front of him was.
He grew more confused and anxious by the minute. Though he could not see the body, in front of him was something. It couldn’t have been anything human, but it wasn’t any type of animal that he could pin it on. Whatever it was, it had leg-like appendages that were dark grey, almost to the point of being black. What made him even more nervous was that there were holes in various parts of the legs were there should have been something, but all it left were these gaping holes.
The creature, whatever it was, began to speak. “Ah, Tarsus, I am always pleased to see you make your appearance here.” The way her voice sounded was odd, as if there were two voices but one spoke just a little out of synch with the other and they both seemed to produce and echo. “I see that you have brought guests tonight.”
The man, who was apparently called Tarsus, replied, “Yes, my queen.” He raised his head a little, “I have come here with a couple who have a sickly daughter. In their world, they cannot cure her affliction and that is why I come to you, your majesty, so that you may heal her.”
“I see,” the creature replied. She stood silent for a minute, observing the fear-stricken couple as they kept their positions. “You may all rise.”
Tarsus rose immediately, but the other two did so more slowly. They also kept their heads to the ground at first, not sure how to react to what they might see. Once they were both standing, they finally looked up.
It took all their might to not scream.
Standing before them was something that they could barely even describe. The creature looked like some manifestation from one of Dante Alighieri’s books and had come to life. The rotunda, though well lit, wasn’t so bright near the center where the creature had stood by, though they could clearly see just what she was like.
She had an almost equine appearance with legs that ended with hoof-like ends to them which Thomas was able to see earlier. But with the view of her whole body, they could her body shape was almost elegant in a way with the thin base and long neck. She had a dark cerulean tale and matching mane that seemed to hang loose off her body. Had this been it, one would say that she seemed to be quite beautiful.
Everything else, though, made her seem horrifying to the couple.
Her body was the same dark grey that her legs were, making her seem almost silhouetted in appearance in the cave’s dimness. Her hair and mane were filled with holes, much like her legs, and made them both look like webs had stuck to her body. She also had a set of clear insect-like wings that stuck out from her back; these too were filled with holes.
What was most terrifying to the couple was her facial features. She looked at the two of them with a set of harlequin-colored eyes that seemed to glow a little accompanied by serpentine pupils. She seemed to be smiling at the couple; two fangs sticking of her mouth. She also had a large horn like appendage sticking out her head that looked like someone chipped away at it.
Standing behind her were two other creatures that were, if possible, more monstrous than her. They had a more insect like appearance with scale-like skin with legs full of holes and clear wings, just like her. Their eyes, contrary to her brightly colored ones, were void of any features save for a light blue coloring. They had small curved horns on the top of their heads and had long fangs sticking out of their mouths
If someone told the two of them these were creatures from hell, they would believe it.
They were both visibly shaking, their breaths almost heaving and eyes wide open. Every instinct told them to run, to get away as far as possible and make a break for the mirror. They knew that Tarsus brought them to her to help their daughter, but there was no telling what this creature was planning. They didn’t know if she was going to help them or eat them, all they knew was that they didn’t want to chance.
Before they could even think of a way to escape, the queen raised one of her legs. The couple both took in a deep breath of anticipation, fearing of what she might do to them. She placed her leg up against her chest, probably where her heart was. If she had a heart, that is.
“I do apologize if things seem a bit…terrifying to you. Rest assured that my changelings and I will pose no threat to you as long you are here.”
Is that what their called? Thomas thought to himself. He had sworn he heard the name somewhere, maybe in a movie or book, but couldn’t figure out where he heard that term before.
The queen propped her leg up to her mouth gave short chuckle, “Oh dear, where are my manners? I haven’t even told you my name yet.” She set her leg down and stood in a position that gave a regal appearance. “I am Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the changelings in Equestria and beyond.” Her body relaxed a little, “Now then, what are your names?”
It seemed so strange and ironic. Here was this creature, Queen Chrysalis as she was called, that had an appearance that would scare anyone if she appeared in front of them. She wasn’t as scary looking as the two others next to her, but anyone who had not seen one of these before would have definitely been terrified.
Yet she spoke with a tone that made her appearance almost meaningless. She seemed friendly, she spoke to them in a non-threatening manner and was even kind enough to show humility in not telling them her name earlier. A queen, someone who ruled over all her subjects, was showing this level of kindness to two people who never met, who were scared of her, and who were even not the same species as her.
Still, that didn’t help matters much for the couple, for they were still in shock of just what was going on. They stood in silence for a moment until Thomas felt something touch his shoulder. He a jumped at the touch and saw Tarsus right next to him.
He smiled at the husband, “It’s alright Thomas…” he leaned his head over a little to the left, “Maria.” 
On the sound of her name, she turned her eyes to Tarsus but not her head, still facing the queen. She held onto her baby tighter than before. She feared that any more tightness would hurt her daughter.
Thomas gave a shaky nod and turned to face the queen. He opened his mouth and tried to speak; no words came out. The queen simply blinked, awaiting his answer. Her smile was gone with a neutral expression taking its place. Taking in a deep breath, he began to speak.
“M-m…..my name….i-is Thomas…your highness.” He didn’t know why he used the regal term, but it came out nonetheless. He motioned his hand so that it was near his wife. “T-this is my wife…Maria.” Maria simply nodded when introduced. “…and our daughter, Jaqueline.” 
Queen Chrysalis gave a small smile, “Hmm, Thomas, Maria, and Jaqueline. I must say that those are some special names.” She turned to Tarsus, “There’s something about the names the human world uses that I just find interesting.”
Tarsus too smiled, “They are quite interesting, my queen.”
“That they are.” She turned back to the couple, they seemed to have calmed down a little bit, though there was still fear in their eyes. She only hoped that this small talk would help alleviate their fears.
Her smile disappeared, “Anyway, I do believe that we have pressing matters at hand. Tarsus…”
“Yes, my queen?”
“Please explain to me the situation and the affliction of the child.”
“Of course, as you wish.” Tarsus took a few steps forward. “As I explained before, the child has come down with a disease that the people of her own world cannot cure at this time. It was explained that the disease had spread too much and had damaged her body to the point where normal medicine wouldn’t be able to cure her.” He let out a sigh, “Her parents were told that there was nothing that could be done and that their best option was to…make her comfortable…during her remaining days.”
At this point Thomas her his sniff next to him. He looked over and saw her looking at her baby with tears in her eyes, not paying attention to what was going on. He too looked at his daughter. After hearing the situation that they were going through right in front of them, it made the two of them realize the severity of what was going on. That their child, their flesh and blood, was dying in front of them and there was nothing that they could do.
And yet, standing in front of them was their miracle, as they were told. This alien creature, this changeling queen, was said to have the ability to save their daughter. She could make her healthy again and she could have another chance to live a long and happy life. The queen was the answer to their prayers.
Both husband and wife seemed a little less afraid than they were before.
“…so I came to them one day, offering our services to them. Naturally, I gave them a few days to decide on the subject.” He motioned his hand towards the couple, “Tonight, they have chosen to go through with the process and wish to seek your help.” He gave a quick bow and fell back in line with the couple.
“I see,” she then proceeded to take a few steps towards the couple. Thomas instinctively took a step back and tried to guide his wife back with him. She, on the other hand, didn’t move an inch. The queen stopped about a few feet away from the mother.
“Is everything what he said true?”
Maria sniffed and nodded quickly, “We…tried everything. We went to different doctors, scoured through everything just to find even a bit of information.” She freed one hand to wipe her eyes, “We’ve been a deadlock for weeks now. Then that man…Tarsus…came to us and said that you could help her.”
Chrysalis looked down at the mother, her face serious, “And do you believe that I can?”
Maria made a noise, a mixture of a sigh and a laugh, “I don’t know what to believe anymore.” 
Thomas wrapped his arm around his wife and spoke up, “Can you help her?” His voice cracked.
The queen’s expression didn’t change, “Perhaps, may I see your child?”
Maria, as if on cue, kept a tight grip on her daughter. Tarsus looked at her and gave a nod, telling her that she should do as she’s asked. Maria still wouldn’t budge her fingers.
The queen shook her head, “I meant to say if I could just have a look at her. If could please remove the covering on her head, that would be acceptable.”
Though reluctant to remove it, Maria proceeded to carefully remove the part of the blanket that covered her baby’s head. Once she was done removing it, she shifted her baby’s body so that the queen could have a look at her.
Something change in the queen’s expression. At the sight of the sickly baby, Chrysalis’s face went from neutral to sullen. Her eyes, that which looked so threatening at first, now showed sadness at what they were looking at.
“So young…” she whispered to herself. She looked towards both parents, “You both have my sympathies.”
“Thank you,” said Maria.
“Thanks,” said her husband.
The queen took in a deep breath, “I understand what you are feeling right now. I have lost many children in my lifetime and the pain of losing them is always painful.”
“But,” her expression changed to one of seriousness again, “You do not have worry about experiencing that pain.” She smiled, “I will cure your daughter.”
For the first time in what seemed like days, if not weeks, both Tomas and Maria smiled.
“You will?” Thomas asked, his eyes moist.
The nodded, “I will.”
Both husband and wife face each other and embraced. For a little while, the only sounds that came were theirs sobs or sniffs. Chrysalis eventually spoke up.
“You are aware of what needs to be done, correct.”
Thomas broke away from the embrace and wiped his face, “A little. Tarsus told us something about her having a ‘brand new body’ by the time this was over.”
“I see,” the queen glared over at Tarsus, as if he did something wrong. “And did he tell you ‘exactly’ what was needed to be done.”
Thomas started getting worried, “No, he didn’t.”
“If I may interject, my queen,” Tarsus spoke up, “I felt as though it would be best if it were explained here. They were at a crucial time when I came to them and to tell them everything, I feared, would deter them.”
“What do you mean?” Maria asked, “What didn’t you tell us?”
Chrysalis seemed to ignore Maria’s question, “Very well, I’ll explain it to them.”
She faced the now confused couple, “You see, your child’s body is damaged beyond repair, that much I was told. To cure her of the disease and heal her body would be beyond our abilities. Her body is failing and even if we cure her of the disease, the damage would still be done.” She paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to say the next thing as gentle as possible. 
“So, in order to cure her, I will have to give her a new body.”
Both Thomas and Maria stood frozen, similar to when they had first met the queen. Yet, instead of fear taking over, now it was confusion.
“W-what?” Maria asked, “What do you mean ‘give her’ a new body? What are you going to do to my daughter?” She held on to her baby tightly.
Chrysalis’s expression was unchanging, “I’m going to transfer her consciousness into one of my hatchlings.”
That hit them like a bombshell. All the sudden, their hopes that their daughter would have a healthy life seemed, that she would be a normal girl, seemed to dissipate at that moment.  They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. This queen, who had promised that no harm would come to their daughter, was now telling them that she was going to turn their daughter into one of…those creatures.
“We changelings have the ability to change our appearance on a whim,” spoke Chrysalis, “You would have no problem with people finding out what your daughter would be and she could look just like any child her age.”
Thomas looked at the changelings that were beside the queen. He saw its grotesque appearance, its featureless eyes and chipped legs. He couldn’t imagine his daughter being of those creatures.
He spoke in an aggravated voice, “What the fuck are you trying to pull!?”
The queen winced at his comment, “I would ask that you not use such language at my pres-“
“No! Listen to me,” he pointed at her, causing the two changelings beside her to hiss, “I’m not about to let you turn my daughter into some kind of mon-“
“Thomas!”
At first, he thought that the voice came from Tarsus, who was staring down Thomas with anger his eyes. But then he realized that it couldn’t have come from him, the voice sounded too feminine.
It was Maria who spoke.
Thomas looked back at his wife who had fear in her eyes. “Something’s wrong with Jaqueline,” she told him.
He immediately went over to his wife and checked on his child. Her skin was turning paler, even more than before. Her breathing was becoming more labored as time passed. It seemed like she breaking down right in front of her parents.
“I-I don’t know what’s going on,” Maria sniffed, “She just started getting worse.”
“The disease in her lungs is spreading”, Tarsus said, his face void of any anger form before. “If we don’t act quickly, it’ll only get worse until her lungs are completely infected.”
Both parents didn’t respond; all their attention was focused on their child, dying right in front of their eyes.
For Maria, she felt that everything she was doing was a failure. She would keep her daughter warm at night, wrap her tightly in blankets, and call the doctor at the first sign of trouble, anything that would help her. She tried her hardest and then some, anything to make sure that she didn’t lose baby.
For Thomas, he felt that he didn’t do enough to save her. He tried protecting his daughter by any means necessary, through medicines and doctor visits and anything else that would help her. He even stood up to some strange creature who wanted to change his daughter into something else, yet none of it was working.
“We need to act now,” Chrysalis sounded anxious, “The more we wait, the more pain she will be in. Just look at me for a second.”
Both parents reluctantly looked at the queen. They were surprised to find that her face showed as much concern as they did, “I promise you that no harm will come to your daughter. She will live a normal life when this is over and her differences will not hold her back at all.”
“This is her last chance to live.”
They both knew that this was their last chance, their final card to play. It was this or death, no other options. There were no second opinions, no miracle drug, no wishes to be wished upon, no prayers to ask, none of that. It was now or never.
They were scared. Scared of both outcomes. They were terrified of the thought of their own child dying, but also of the fact that she wouldn’t be normal like the other kids. She would have to hide her true appearance from everyone and would be in constant worry of people finding out about her. 
But there was one major difference to between the two outcomes. One major difference that separated them like night or day.
If she became a changeling, she would live.
“Maria…” Thomas said.
Slowly, his wife walked towards Chrysalis. Each footstep felt like a giant weight had been placed on both of her feet, but she persisted. She stood face to face with the changeling queen.
She moved her arms out to the queen, holding her baby tightly. “Please,” she whispered, “Save her.”
The queen nodded and lifted one of her legs up. She went to wrap it around the child, but the mother wouldn’t let go.
“I swear,” the queen whispered, “I will save her.”
Tears poured nonstop down Maria’s face. Thomas’s wiped his own with his arm and walked up. Together, both parents leaned over and kissed their daughter one last time on her forehead.
Maria let go.
==============================================================================
About half-an-hour passed since the queen and her two changelings passed through the metal door at the end of the rotunda. Both parents wandered anxiously around the room, awaiting news of their daughter. Both hadn’t spoken a word since their daughter was given to the queen. Occasionally, a changeling or two would pass through the rotunda and stare at the strange creatures in the room, though the couple paid no heed to it.
All that had been on the parent’s mind was what was going on behind those closed doors. They had no idea just what type of procedure was happening in order to create their daughter’s…new body. 
“You know,” said Tarsus, who was leaning on one of the walls, “There really is nothing to worry about. This type of procedure was been performed dozens, if not hundreds, of times. And like I said, they’ve all been successful.”
His attempts to lighten the mood fell on deaf ears, though. They said nothing in response. The silence went on for a few more minutes until Thomas walked up to Tarsus and broke it.
“Hey Tarsus, can I ask you something?”
Tarsus got up from his wall, “Sure.”
Thomas sighed, “Why is the queen so willing to help us? Why is she doing so much to help two strangers?”
Tarsus also sighed, “Well, it goes a bit deeper than just helping some strangers.” He put his hands in his pocket. 
“You remember when the queen mentioned that she knows the pain of losing a child?” Thomas nodded. “Well, let’s just say that, lately, she’s been having that pain a lot. You see, changelings can’t survive on normal food like you and I. Instead, they need love and affection.”
“Love and affection?”
“Right, it may sound strange, but that’s how they live. Changelings are used to taking on the forms of other po-people and taking their place. There, they can absorb the love of the other person’s loved ones and be full. It’s basically their only resource of food.”
“The problem is that it is their only source of food available. Lately, the surrounding lands have been cracking down on changelings it’s been getting harder for them to survive. So, without any food to keep them healthy, they eventually starve to death.”
Thomas rubbed the back of his head, “Shit, that’s awful.”
“It is. The queen has been desperate to have her children survive. Since she is the queen, she is the only one that can have children of her own. So with every loss of a changeling, it comes at a great blow to her.”
“Then, sometime ago, some of her scouts found that portal that we went through to get here. She saw that your world had no knowledge of the changeling race, none whatsoever. To her, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for her changelings to gather as much love as they wanted and no one would be none the wiser.”
Thomas asked, “But what does this have to do with my daughter?”
“I was actually about to get to that. Early on, the queen found out that normal changelings couldn’t turn into humans. They could only turn into creatures that were native to these lands and she couldn’t have them running around in the human world looking like creatures that your species has yet to discover.”
“This is where your daughter comes in. After some time, she came to discover that a changeling could turn into a human, but there would have to be some sort of connection with the human body. A changeling would have to have some sort of reference point before it could make that leap.”
“She found out that by simply exchanging a human’s consciousness and placing it into a changeling body, that was enough information for it to turn into a human.”
“Well what’s the point of that?” asked Thomas. “Isn’t that taking the whole point out of it? With exchanging one consciousness for another, basically?
Tarsus took a breath, “Well Thomas, that’s why she’s using a hatchling as the transfer point. The hatchling will still be in the development phase, but in the end a changeling will still be born. It may not have a changeling soul, but it will be a changeling.”
“That way, the changeling will still live on and be able to interact in the human world without the scrutiny it would have faced here.”
“But how will my daughter be once she is, well, a changeling? Is there anything I should know?”
“There are a few things you should know,” Tarsus replied. “She can eat regular food with people, but it won’t provide anything other than a good taste in her mouth. Also, her changed form won’t grow up with her, so at a certain age she will have to learn how to control her powers so that she may continue to blend in.”
“So she will be able to change her form?”
“Exactly, yes. She will always have the changeling body, but she will be able to easily change into any human form she wants.”
Something else was bothering Thomas, something that he had been wondering about since the beginning.
“Hey Tarsus, are you a human or a changeling?”
Tarsus smiled, though it seemed to be one out of nervousness, “I’m a human, of course.”
“Then how can you change like the other changeli-“
Before his question could be asked completely, the metal doors swung open and all eyes were peered on them. Queen Chrysalis emerged from the darkened room, carrying something in her leg. Both parents ran up to her immediately.
Thoughts were racing through their minds as they ran towards the queen. Was their daughter alright? Was it successful? Did it damage her in any way?
Did she live?
Once they got close, they could see just what she was holding. It was a translucent, egg shaped object that had a grey hue to it. It was clear enough, though, to where they could see what was inside.
In the center of the object was a small dark grey creature curled up in a fetal position. Its tiny wings were wrapped around its body and two, tiny fangs were starting to take shape.
“Is this…?” Maria asked.
The queen nodded. This was their daughter.
She handed the egg over to the parents and they both held it together. The fact that this little creature that they had found out existed not more than an hour ago was their daughter now was just now clicking in their minds. 
They two didn’t know what to think. They didn’t know whether to cry for joy or sadness; they just didn’t know to feel about this.
The queen said to them, “It will take a little bit of time before she will hatch, but once she does I will have Tarsus come by and help create a human form for her.”
The two parents both nodded, barely acknowledging the queen. 
“He will be around periodically during her early years to help change her form every so often, but you will have to tell her of what she is sometime after that. That way, she can adjust without our help.” She took in a breath, “There is also one condition that I must set upon you.”
At those words, both parents took their eyes of their daughter’s new body and looked at the queen.
“As a changeling, she will have to survive solely on love and affection. I believe Tarsus has told you this already.”
“I have, your majesty.”
“In that case, this is the condition that I am putting you up to. You must love her unconditionally and without question. You must show her as much affection as you possibly can and be there for her at times of need. Remember that you are her lifeline now, her very survival depends on those who will love her forever and will cherish her unconditionally.”
“If you do these things, if you will love her always…” The queen smiled.
“Then she will live.”
She will live.
That’s why Thomas and Maria were here. To hear those words, to have that acknowledgement that their daughter, their flesh and blood, will live.
At that moment, both parents began to break down. One arm was wrapped around the other person, while the other was wrapped around their daughter.
For that one moment, all thoughts of possible regret or fear left their minds. Together, they embraced each other and their daughter with only one thing in both of their minds.
Their daughter will live.
==============================================================================
After the three people left the rotunda, Queen Chrysalis returned to the room she had spent the last good amount of time she had. Even though she had only known the couple for a short amount of time, she truly felt sympathy for them. She knew the fears that came with the idea that a child may die, but she was thankful that they didn’t have to experience what happens when that does come true.
Before she could open the doors, though, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She turned and saw Tarsus approaching her.
“I thought you were escorting them back to their home world,” she asked.
“I am,” he replied, “But I told them I needed to discuss something first with you before we left and asked them to wait for a few minutes.”
“And what is it that you wish to discuss?”
A smile appeared on Tarsus’s face, “I just want to see how it went.”
The queen too smiled, “Very well, follow me.”
The doors opened to a small room that was, for the most part, empty. Save for one though.
On the back of the wall was a wide assortment of green web-like tendrils that seemed to jut out of the wall and the ceiling. The entire back wall was covered with these webs and gave the wall an eerie to it.
And in the center of this, inside a small green cocoon, was baby Jaqueline. Next to her, both up, down, left, right, and diagonal, were other children with ages ranging from newborn to toddlerhood.
“You told the father about what happens during the process, right?”
“I did, my queen.”
“And did you tell him everything?”
Tarsus shook his head, “No, my queen. Although he was about to ask about what happens to the changeling consciousness when we exchange it for the human one, though I simply went around the question.”
The queen smiled, “Good, it’s best for them to not find out. Not at this time, at least.”
She went up to the wall and observed the children that rested peacefully in their cocoons. “It is quite a shame actually, that a normal human child can’t be cured by the tendrils. Otherwise, their world would pay top bit for them.”
“That they would, my queen.”
“But give the body a changeling soul, though,” she explained, “then the body accepts the nutrients and can heal overtime.”
She sighed, “I remember when you were on this wall. Your body beaten and mangled beyond repair.” She turned back to Tarsus, “Yet look at you know, standing in my presence and helping others get a second chance, both humans and changelings alike.”
Tarsus smiled and bowed to her, “For that I will always be grateful to you, my queen.”
“It really is quite fascinating, when you think about it,” she said. “The fact that both parties gain the ability to change and not just the original body. I guess the soul is more powerful than we thought.”
“And I was the first human to experience it,” said Tarsus. “Well, the first human body to have the ability, at least. But still, it’s a win-win situation for you, my queen. Your race gets to live in the human world and continue to live another day while your children get to live in bodies that don’t require love and affection to live.”
Chrysalis turned back towards the wall, not saying anything else. The she said nothing for a bit, making Tarsus being to worry.
Tears fell from her face and started to hit the floor.
“My queen?”
“Look at them,” she choked, “The perfect changelings. My children get to live and not have to be afraid of starving. They can eat the same food that the ponies and humans eat, they don’t have to hunt and hide for survival. They get to live the life that so many of their brothers and sisters couldn’t.” She sniffed, “Once the tendrils heal their bodies, they will get to finally be free of the one weakness that has plagued our kind for millennia.”
“Plus, the fact that they will be able to change into both ponies and humans just makes things even better. They will literally have the best of both worlds.”
Tarsus nodded, “Rightly so, my queen.”
“You know,” the queen’s voice no longer choked, “The human world really such a fascinating place. No magic, no talking creatures other than human, their weather is controlled on its own, it’s just such an interesting place. They are so oblivious to us that they would never know that we are in their shadows.”
Tarsus grew a little alarmed, “Pardon me, but are you suggesting…”
“No, not now anyway. It’s too soon to consider any action. I’m just keeping it in my thoughts.”
“Right, well anyway, I believe I’ve kept the two of them waiting for long enough. I will be back in a short while, my queen,” Tarsus gave a bow.
“Take care, my son,” and with that, he left through the doors.
Now alone, Chrysalis walked up to the newest arrival she had acquired. It had no longer been coughing like before, but instead it was asleep inside its resting place. She looked at its sleeping form inside the cocoon, sometimes giving a tiny fidget in its sleep.
Chrysalis smiled and stroked the cocoon with her hoof.  
“Shh, it’s okay my child. I will always be here for you, I promise.” Though she comforted her child, there was one thing that also brought Queen Chrysalis comfort too. A feeling that was shared with not only the parents from before, but with every parent that has stepped into her rotunda.
The knowledge that her child will live.