//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The First Night // Story: Winds of Change // by ClanCrusher //------------------------------// The only light in the caves came from the soft green glow of the cocoons, but a changeling would have been home even in complete and utter darkness. It was the most heavily fortified location within their hive, guarded constantly by no fewer than a dozen changelings indoctrinated from birth into defending this place with their lives. The only others allowed inside were those who tended to the young, a select few that practically lived within this cave. The only ones able to come and go freely were Chrysalis herself and her mother. Queen Chrysalide lay in the midst of the cocoons. Her eyes were closed and her jagged horn glowed with a vibrant green. Warmth and love radiated outwards to the cocoons, which seemed to glow brighter in response. At her side, the young changeling princess waited patiently and watched as her mother worked. Minutes passed. The green light slowly faded and then went out completely. The changeling queen opened her eyes and let out a breath, soon spotting her daughter sitting close by. “Aren't you supposed to be in lessons right now?” “You know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important, mother,” came her reply. “Several messages from our soldiers recently came in, but they know better than to disturb you during feeding.” The queen smiled and relaxed in her sitting position. “And considering they have used you as their messenger, I take it the news is not good, either,” she observed. “It's good to see their self-preservation instincts are working, but you really shouldn't let them shirk their duties onto you.” “If it helps, I made them grovel and beg for a full minute before I accepted their request,” said the queen's daughter with a mischievous smile. “Adequate,” responded the queen with a carefully serious look on her face that soon dissolved into a chuckle. “Well then, what news do you bring me?” “Mara has gone missing.” The queen's face remained carefully blank. “How long ago?” “Unsure. She alone was aware of the meetings between herself and the changelings in the field. We only got the report when she didn't show up for an exchange, so probably around an hour or two.” “There's more,” said the queen as a statement of fact, her voice calm. “The scouts who have been watching Queen Terranim's changelings have reported them missing as well, for at least a day now.” “Interesting.” There was a long, thoughtful moment of silence before the queen spoke again. “What do you make of this, Chrysalis?” Figuring that this was a test, Chrysalis put her mind to work. “It can't be the ponies themselves, otherwise there would be panic. Do you think it's...another queen?” “That is a possibility, though the far more likely explanation is that Terranim is simply playing games with us. Testing the limits of our truce and so forth.” “But I thought Mara was one of your best! She's been with the hive since I was hatched!” “A rather potent psychological blow, wouldn't you say? In one move, you remove a threat and make your enemy fearful of what else you might know.” “Should we retaliate?” asked Chrysalis uncertainly. “Perhaps. There are a few options available to us. Do me a favor and tell Yensil to take care of his mark on your way out. He'll know what I mean.” --- “Wait, you mean to tell me that there were two changeling hives near Ponyville?” I asked incredulously. Chrysalis nodded calmly, taking a sip of her tea. “My mother's hive, and the one belonging to Terranim. Both of us had changelings in Ponyville and Canterlot. With Celestia so close, ponies were far more warm and welcoming to others. Dignitaries were visiting all the time from all over the world, so it was easier to slip in changelings under the pretense that they were simply foreign visitors. Even the ambient love Celestia has for her subjects is ample enough to subsist on.” “So...this is like a prime feeding ground for you, then?” The queen nodded. “As well as hotly contested. My mother, Chrysalide, and the queen of the other hive Terranim had an uneasy truce for about a decade, and while I'm sure that either queen would have been happy to seize power from the other, both were content to keep to themselves so long as they could keep their hives fed.” “So what happened next?” Chrysalis sighed and gave me a humorless smile. “It turns out I had been right all along.” “There was a third queen? How could three hives of changelings possibly exist near Canterlot without somepony knowing?” “Simple, really. They couldn't.” --- It had taken over a month to arrange a meeting. Changelings lived and thrived on deception and subtlety, so any sort of gathering was an opportune time for backstabs, assassination attempts, and reconnaissance. The location had been changed four times before Terranim and Chrysalide were both satisfied, but it was justifiable paranoia all the same. Losing a queen wasn't the absolute end of a colony, but it did leave things disorganized and vulnerable to enemies. At the center of the dimly lit cave stood Chrysalide, flanked by six changelings, as she waited for the other queen. Off to the side was Chrysalis, surrounded by four drones herself, while a pair of bound prisoners were the focus of the remaining two. Twelve soldiers in all, though several dozen more were on the perimeter, ready to engage at the queen's command. Terranim was late. “Is she not going to show?” asked the changeling princess after several long minutes of silence. “She will show. She is merely searching for ambushes or potential traps at the moment.” “How can you tell?” “Because it is what I would do.” Seconds ticked by, and Chrysalis tried to stay interested, but her eyes were soon wandering and her thoughts began to drift. Her mother had described these games of intrigue as dangerous and exciting and her many stories reflected that. Right now, though, it just seemed to involve a lot of mistrust and waiting. “They're here,” said the queen rather suddenly. A faint buzzing sound quickly filled the cave as the changelings from Terranim’s hive made their appearance. The soldiers came first, looking around the cavern, though none moved beyond the unseen boundary that divided their territories. At long last, the other changeling queen entered, walking calmly into the cavern while twelve soldiers moved into formation around her. “Queen Chrysalide,” greeted Terranim, as her own prisoners were brought forward. Mara was among them. “And Princess Chrysalis as well.” “Queen Terranim,” responded Chrysalide. Because the forms of changelings were naturally malleable, how they presented themselves was often a matter of personal taste. Terranim's colony was distinguished by their silver markings and the queen reflected that in the patterns on her translucent wings and the highlights of her mane and tail. Terranim thought it make her look ageless; Chrysalis just thought it made her look old. “I sincerely hope that you are not trying to pass off your own drones as my kin,” said Chrysalide after a long moment of silence. “We both know full well the futility of such a gambit.” “And I could say much the same about yours,” responded Terranim, pointing one of her legs at the captives Chrysalide had bound. “Those drones are not of my colony.” “Interesting. Did your interrogation reveal from where they originated?” asked the green-tailed queen, quickly shifting gears. Terranim shook her head. “Not a word from either of them no matter what techniques I tried. They are either fiercely loyal or simply not intelligent enough to betray their secrets.” A discreet nod passed between the silver queen and a guard, and one of the changeling drones approached the bound captives. In one swift motion, a leg was brought down upon Mara's neck, filling the cave with a sickening crunch. Chrysalide and Terranim never broke eye contact. “Report what markings you see,” ordered the silver-maned queen. “Red markings around the feet and wings,” came the raspy voice of the changeling in charge of the prisoners. “And a red mark in a lightning bolt pattern across the back.” “So, there is a third,” said Chrysalide finally, stating what everyone was thinking. “A rather vain and young one if her markings are any indication.” “Or one who simply wishes to send a message,” retorted Terranim. “She did manage to catch two of my hive, after all.” “But in doing so she has tipped her hand somewhat.” “It either speaks of excessive confidence or arrogance. Regardless, this changes little between us.” It was a lie and both queens knew it. Plans were already forming on both sides now that a somewhat-certainty had become an absolute certainty. “Of course,” said Chrysalide amicably with a small smile. The conversation shifted to more mundane topics; hints at possible plans, allusions to prisoners, and thinly veiled warnings. The soldiers on each side continued to glare daggers at one another, while Chrysalis tried to not look bored. The interesting part of the night had passed and the tension had dwindled into little more than a cordial, if somewhat tense, business meeting. “It was a pleasure meeting with you again, Queen Terranim,” said the emerald queen, drawing Chrysalis out of her thoughts. “I shall send word if there are any developments.” “And I shall do the same,” said the silver queen with a nod of her head. Chrysalide was the first to leave, her soldiers and prisoners in tow, not looking back. “So what happens now?” asked the changeling princess once she was sure they were out of earshot. “Now? We send a message to the red queen and find out what game she is playing,” she said, gesturing towards the two captives. “I have little doubt that Terranim will be doing the same.” “More waiting, then?” said the princess with a sigh. “Patience, my dear daughter. Games of intrigue take time to unfold.” --- My quill paused as Queen Chrysalis stopped talking. I had to admit, she was a good storyteller. Maybe she had inherited her mother's talent for making these games seem interesting even if the reality involved long periods of waiting between brief moments of excitement. “So what happened next?” I asked, once the moment of silence had been drawn out to the point of awkwardness. "Patience, Twilight," she said, her eyes mischievous. I knew right then and there that I wasn't going to get another word out of her. Maybe it was her way of ensuring that she'd get another night together by promising more of the story. I bit back my disappointment and tried not to let it show. It had taken a while for the implications of our arrangement to really sink in, but now the possibilities were growing by the second. Chrysalis presented an opportunity to perform extraordinary new research about a species that had long been shrouded in mystery. History, social structure, magical abilities...it was all here, calmly drinking my prepared tea. “I can taste your excitement, Twilight,” she murmured. “It's quite invigorating. Having the chance to study a new species must be quite an opportunity for you. Are you still looking to get your own book published?” “First, that's really creepy. Feel free to keep that information to yourself. Second, how did you know about that?” I asked, my eyes narrowing once again. “Well, it's an ability Changelings have that allow us to sense the emotional state-” “I meant about the book!” I snapped. “Really, Twilight, it wasn't terribly hard to find out about you. You're a rather popular pony, even outside of Ponyville. The white mare, Rarity, is a treasure trove of gossip and was quite eager to sing your praises when she was fitting one of my minions for a dress.” I resisted the urge to rub my head with a hoof. I cared for Rarity dearly, but she could be a bit loose with her tongue if approached in a friendly manner. Still, it's not like I told her to keep it a secret or anything. My attention was drawn back to my guest as her insect-like wings fluttered a bit, the queen taking a new position on the cushion and looking somewhat restless. A quick glance at the clock on the wall showed me that we'd been at this for some time now, though fatigue was the very last thing I was feeling. “Tell me, Twilight, would you like a practical demonstration of my abilities?” asked the changeling rather suddenly, standing up and stretching out her wings. “I'm quite happy to regale you with tales until your ink runs dry, but you'll never really learn about me from word of mouth alone.” “Could you possibly say that in a way that sounds less ominous?” Despite my reservations, I had to seriously consider what she was offering. Since her magic and her shapeshifting powers were sealed, there was little mystery as to what she had in mind and at least a dozen reasons to refuse. And yet, I owed it to Celestia and Luna to find out as much as I possibly could. “You know better than anyone all of the contingencies that have been put in place for my visit. Just how much of a risk is it to you?” asked the queen calmly. Letting out a sigh, I dropped the quill and let it rest on the paper. She wasn't going to try anything tonight. Luna's guards were no doubt outside right now, keeping an eye on the place and Celestia herself was planning to look me over tomorrow and make sure I wasn't under any sort of influence. “So...do you just bite someone and inject venom into them?” Chrysalis chuckled lightly, obviously finding humor in my timidness. “Not unless I'm in a hurry. There is a far more gentle way to do it.” “And that is?” I asked, deeply suspicious. Raising one of her legs, the black-bodied queen beckoned me forward. Cautiously, I scooted towards her while instinctively drawing upon my magic, still nervous about being so close to her. The next part happened so fast that it took me completely off guard. With a surprising amount of tenderness her leg slid beneath my neck and pushed up, drawing me level with her face. I had a moment to see her almost gleeful look before she descended, pressing her mouth to mine, tongue slipping past my half-open mouth and darting inside and leaving a lingering taste and a tingling sensation behind. A second passed, and then two. The magical energy I had been collecting reacted to my panic and a violet burst launched the changeling back. The queen crashed into the bookshelf opposite myself, sending several large volumes tumbling to the ground. I recovered from my surprise, levitating several books off of her, as I glared at the heap Chrysalis had landed in. “What was...what was that?” “The more pleasant method,” said the queen with amusement as she shifted the books off of her. “What are you feeling right now?” The magical rush from earlier slowly faded, and new sensations started to spread throughout my body. “I feel...warm...hard to think...” I said aloud, my magic once again lifting the quill as I quickly jotted down the sensations as fast as the words came to mind. “What else?” pressed the changeling queen, moving past her seat to stand directly in front of me. “It's...like a feeling of safety...” I said, struggling to find the words. “Like I'm in the presence of someone I can trust completely.” This was the changeling's poison at work. I knew it even as I was writing these feelings down. It was hard to keep my mind straight as I was both simultaneously trying to explore the sensations while also resist them. The queen had a knowing look on her face as she stalked closer, nearly brushing against me. “Do you prefer stallions or mares, Twilight?” “Mares,” I said automatically before my mind could catch up with the words. Horrified, I slapped a hoof to my muzzle, eyes wide, as I looked up at her fanged grin. “Put your hoof down and relax, Twilight,” she said, her voice firm but gentle. My foreleg shook just a bit but slowly pulled away from my mouth and rested on the ground in front of her. “How many ponies know?” she asked after a moment, her voice still calm and gentle. Perhaps it was the poison but her voice sounded quite a bit like Celestia's right now. Warm and comforting, but firm as well. “N-nopony...” I clenched my teeth as I tried to fight the answer this time, but it still came out anyways. “Just you.” Part of me wanted to scream at her to stop asking questions but another part of me was desperate to fight this and see if I could overcome this with my own power. “Do you find any of your mare-friends attractive?” asked the queen, her voice still light and gentle. Again the compulsion to answer rose but I managed to fight it back this time...for about a full second. “Y-yes,” I gasped out, sweating slightly. I closed my eyes tightly so I wouldn't have to see Chrysalis' growing smile. “Which-” Before she could finish the sentence my horn flashed with a brilliant violet color. The sounds in the library were suddenly cut off; I could read the motions of her mouth but no words came through for me to hear. A spell of deafness. I couldn't answer any questions or obey any orders I couldn't hear, and with her magic sealed there was no way for her to communicate with me mentally, either. Letting out a breath that I couldn't hear, I looked up to Chrysalis and gave her a somewhat smug look, though the brief sense of victory faded as I saw that her warm smile had turned into a full-fanged grin. Slowly, she moved back towards a sitting position, relaxing back down on one of the cushions. I took this as a peace offering and lowered my spell as well, though I was prepared to snap it back into place at a moment's notice. “Very clever, Twilight Sparkle,” she practically purred in approval. “Your poison...it's strong...” I conceded, after making certain that she wasn't about to sneak in a question on me while my guard was down. “You shouldn't have expected anything less from a queen.” There was a bit of pride in her voice now. “Right...but about these questions-” “Nothing you tell me will leave this library without your permission,” she cut in, waving away my protests. “You still wish to continue your research, yes?” Compelled to answer, I let out a 'yes' even as I was nodding my head. Was there any way of resisting these effects without magic? I suppose it was my job to find out. “Then I will continue to ask you questions and give you the opportunity to study this as much as you'd like,” said the queen in the tone of one who was bestowing a great honor or gift upon a subject. “Feel free to deafen yourself again if you don't think you can handle it.” I didn't really consider myself as competitive as Rainbow Dash, but I got an inkling that this is what Applejack must have felt like every time the pegasus baited her into a contest. If I didn't want her to hear the answer to something then all I had to do was surround her in a bubble of silence. Swallowing my embarrassment, I nodded for her to continue. How bad could her questions possibly get? “Who was the first mare you had a crush on?” Damn! “...C-Celestia,” I said after a full second and a half of resistance. “You certainly have lofty goals,” said the changeling queen, clearly having fun at my expense. “What about her do you like most of all?” “It's just...how easy she makes things look. She's always graceful and poised and she makes everypony feel special just by talking to them.” My words were a bit halted and broken as I tried to resist the compulsion to speak, but eventually the answer came just like the others before it. Even as she got one embarrassing admission after the next, my mind was still working on the sensations I was feeling and the quill continued to write down my thoughts. Every time she asked a question I felt like something was grabbing onto my mane and pulling, the feeling growing stronger and stronger until I gave her the answer she was looking for. Not every question she asked me was about my secret desires; some were completely innocuous. Questions about my past, how I had met Spike, and my favorite things to eat, but every now and again she'd slip in a personal question. I quickly found out that it was possible to get away with half-truths in some cases, and resisting the compulsion did get easier over time, but Chrysalis knew of this weakness and would often ask me to clarify or elaborate on my answers. Finally, it got to the point where my mind was almost clear again. Chrysalis' eyes glanced towards the clock and her smile faded just a bit. “You should be feeling the end of it about now, but just to be sure...which one of your friends do you find most attractive?” she asked, repeating the question that had panicked me into protecting myself with magic before. “R...ra...” I stopped suddenly, my body trembling, and then I let out a breath. The effects were gone. I checked the time. Even the small dose she had given me had lasted almost an hour. Suddenly the fatigue of the mental battle I had been waging caught up with me and even remaining in a sitting position became difficult. “Side effects?” I asked groggily. “Only when you try and fight it,” said Chrysalis, walking over to my prone form, one of her legs gently brushing along my mane. I didn't have the strength to protest. “It will fade soon enough, but perhaps this is a good place to stop tonight.” I let out a yelp as Chrysalis' fore-hooves grabbed me around the middle and easily lifted me up, draping me across her back, with my stomach resting upon the green rings circling her middle. The smooth, slick, and slightly soft feeling of her barrel contrasted sharply with the rest of her body. Effortlessly handling my weight, she made her way up the stairs towards my bed. “One more question before I leave,” said Chrysalis, gently sliding me from her back to the bed. Somehow this almost affectionate treatment from her was even more embarrassing than answering all of those things she had asked me earlier. “Did I steal your first real kiss?” “Just...just go! I'm tired!” I snapped, pulling the covers over my head. Chrysalis' delicate laughter seemed to echo around my room as she opened the window and flew off into the night, soon joined by a contingent of Lunar Stallions ready to escort her back to Canterlot. --- It was probably Luna's influence that gave me a relatively dreamless sleep that night, and I was thankful for it. Chrysalis had given me a lot to think about, and one of the things I learned early in life was that sleeping on a problem was a great way to help your mind sort things out. Yawning lightly, I stretched out my legs, only to yelp as I was treated to a sight more blinding than the sun filtering in through the window. “Princess Celestia!” I made a fool of myself attempting to kick the covers away and give her a proper bow, but a hoof resting against my side quickly stopped me. “Lay still, my student,” she murmured, her magic glowing in a way that was almost painful to look at. She lowered her horn and swept it over my body, filling me with the warm, welcoming feeling of her magic. “I sensed only a trace of residual poison in your body and no mind-altering magic to speak of.” Resting back against the pillow, I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't expected Chrysalis to do anything rash, but it was nice to get a clean bill of health from the sun princess all the same. “How did your meeting go?” “It was...very civil,” I said after giving it some thought. “Almost surprisingly so. I have my notes and findings written up, so feel free to take a copy.” Fighting back another yawn, I got up from my bed and stretched out my legs properly this time, running through a quick mental exercise to get my magic warmed up as well. “Were the safety measures powerful enough?” I nodded. “Very. Perhaps a bit too powerful.” Celestia turned to face me directly, her mane flowing behind her in an intangible breeze to reveal both of her eyes. It was a sign that this conversation was about to take a very serious turn. “I know what you're about to ask of me, Twilight.” “Then you should already know the logical reasons as to why it needs to happen.” I probably should have waited until at least later in the day before springing this on her, but there was no stopping it now. In my mind I was already piecing together a mental checklist of the points I could bring up- “Very well. I will give you control over how much power Chrysalis can access.” My mental checklist was promptly crumpled up and tossed into the wastebasket of my mind. “Really? Just like that?” “Twilight, you have saved Equestria three times now. Though I hold little trust in Queen Chrysalis, I do trust my most capable student.” “Thank you, Princess,” I said with relief, touched by her faith in me. “One more feat of heroism and I get a free Pinkie Party complete with a musical number,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood as I ran my magic through a few levitation exercises. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Twilight, but you might find yourself giving the changeling queen a lot more than a few of your clandestine crushes if you're not careful.” The book I had been levitating hit the ground with a thud. “W-wait, how did you-” “I had surveillance spells in place.” “B-but I checked!” “You are a gifted student, Twilight, but I still have a few secrets I've yet to reveal to you.” “And you heard...” “Everything.” “Even the um...” “Yes, even that. It was quite flattering praise.” I would have gladly taken on Discord and Nightmare Moon with a hoof tied behind my back right then if I could have escaped from Celestia's knowing smile. “It has been a while since I've taken a mare into my bed, but if you still have that crush on me from all those years ago-” “Sorry got lots of things to do today and notes to prepare I'll talk with you tomorrow and we'll continue this conversation never. Goodbye!” A pack of bloodthirsty timber-wolves couldn't have gotten me out of there faster.