//------------------------------// // 1. Genuine Sugar // Story: The Teal Changeling // by MrAlterad //------------------------------// The hatchling princess bounded through the chambers, eager to reach her destination and get her fill before joining up with her companions. Despite her minute size, she moved faster than a fully grown drone; a fact she took pride in. As she entered the feeding room, her eyes went to the ceiling, looking for her favorite treat. She then frowned as she realized that her shadow had fallen behind. “Come on Bulwark! How am I supposed to have breakfast if you're too busy being slow!?” she shouted into the corridor she came from, before looking to the hanging pods that were out of her reach. Despite her wishes, a queen's body matured slower than other changelings. Her clutchlings were now full grown drones, yet she was still the size of a sixth month old hatchling. That, and her wings weren't strong enough to get her off the ground. Feeling the ground start to shake at her guard's approach, she stepped to the side as he trampled into the room, breathing heavily from the chase. He, on the other hoof, was easily thrice the size of a typical drone, and if he stood next to the hive's queen, he'd stand just a little bit taller; which was about right for those born to be the queen's royal guard. Being tall next to a typical drone, he easily towered over the princess. However, since this size gap was present for as long as she could remember. It didn't bother or intimidate her in the least. Bulwark gave her a sheepish look before letting out a sigh. “Your Highness—” “It's Chrysalis!” “Of course, Your Highness. I'm reminding you there's still nectar back at—” “I don't like nectar!” she interrupted as she adopted a pouting look, “I like it better from here,” she added as she indicated the cocoons on the ceiling, “Now, your princess needs help getting up, take me to that one,” she ordered, pointing to her favorite pod, one that was giving off a weaker glow than the others around it. “Yes, Your Highness,” he replied without hesitation, kneeling down so his princess could hop on his back. “If Queen Amber finds out-” “I'll tell her I'm sorry and promise never to do it again,” Chrys replied with a dismissive gesture, “Up!” she finished as she tapped his back twice with a hoof, getting a small sigh from the guard as he lifted her closer to the pods. Never having liked nectar, Chrysalis relished the taste of drinking directly from the source. Nectar always came in one flavor, and though it wasn't a bad flavor, it was monotonous to taste the same thing every single day. Her annoyed look became one of anticipation as they reached the pod, for of all the others she'd sampled, this was the only one that had a sweet taste to it. That, and the pony in the pod was pleasant to interact with, which was a bonus in the young changeling's eyes. “Now keep us here for a minute, I'll be quick this time!” she explained, not wanting to keep her clutchlings waiting. Seeing Bulwark give an assuring nod, her horn glowed as her magic connected to the cocoon, making her awareness to her surroundings fall away... ~~~ “Come on gramps! You gonna sit in that chair all day?” The light blue unicorn filly asked with a smile as she circled around the old stallion, who had been quietly taking in the bright view of the ocean from the deck of his house before her arrival. “As lively as ever, Star Shell,” he replied with a weak chuckle. “Let's see if this old bag o' bones can still walk,” he added as he stood up, his body groaning in defiance, which he ignored. “Well, will you look at that!” he let out as he gave the filly a smile, “So, what does my favorite grandfilly wanna do today?” “Something short! My friends are coming and I don't wanna be late.” The filly's eyes then widened in excitement, “How 'bout a story?” she asked, getting a considering look from the stallion as he left the deck, walking to the beach with the filly at his side. He considered it for a moment, a salty breeze blowing through his silver mane as he nodded. “A story huh? Give me a minute, I think I have one just'n mind,” he said with a weak smile. A look of pain flashed through his eyes, and the entire seascape briefly fluctuated and flickered, making the filly pause, her eyes flashing green as she looked around in concern. However, the moment passed, and the old stallion taking in a deep breath as he continued his slow walk. “Let's see, how'd it go again? Ah yes... Once 'pon a time, there was a sly, shifty stallion that lived by the shore. This stallion had it all; he was rich, had lots of friends, and lived out his dreams with a smile on his face.” He then let out a strangely somber laugh, getting a confused look from Star Shell. “Despite all that, he wasn't a very good father. He and his son, they would argue all the time. They never saw eye to eye. Well, one day, his son became a parent of his own, and felt he was ready for change. So, he left our little town of Tampa Neigh with his wife,” he said, pausing for a moment to look to his home, a sad look in his eyes. “Gramps?” The filly asked, unsure where this story was heading, yet eager to hear more. “Huh? Oh, right,” he said as he shook his head, “Anyway, the old stallion was sad that his son left, and, he admits, a touch bitter." He then paused, letting out another short laugh, "Okay, very bitter. He ended up pushing his friends away, and spent all his bits to try and feel better. And wouldn't yah know it, just like that, the old stallion had gone and set himself up to live the rest of his days alone. Didn’t happen overnight, but happened all the same. As those lonely days wore on, the stallion found a new dream to help him sleep at night. He dreamed that his son would forgive him, and maybe, let‘m meet his grandfilly,” he finished as he turned to the sea, sitting down as he enjoyed the breeze. Something was off. The filly looked up to him, a worried look in her eyes as she reached to touch him. He spoke before she could. “I wanted to meet Star Shell in person, yah know? But I guess meetin' her in dream was fulfillin' in its own way,” he said, giving the filly a warm smile, making her take a step back in realization, her eyes wide. Don't know who, or what you are.” He then shrugged, “To be frank, I don't really care. I just wanna thank yah, for lettin' me spend time with her, even if was just a dream.” He then turned to the filly, giving her the sweetest smile she'd ever seen, a smile that wasn't meant for the filly named Star Shell, but the one wearing her mask. “Thank you. Yah've made the last few months of this old stallion's life, happy ones.” ~~~ Chrysalis' eyes snapped open as the connection faded. Her horn took in the last bit of love the pod was ever going to give, as the weak amber glow it gave off faded away. She stood there, on her guard's back, her mouth falling open as she placed a hoof on the lifeless pod. “Highness?” Bulwark asked, noticing an unfamiliar expression on her face. She ignored him, feeling a tightness in her chest that made her frown. “I-I'm done,” she said as she looked away from the pod, “Take me down,” she ordered, and he did so, bringing them to a pair of drones who'd been waiting for them; Chrysalis' clutchlings, Momo and Darrin. While having hatched from the same clutch, these two were already full grown drones; making them noticeably bigger than the princess, to her slight annoyance. Momo was a female worker who had a slightly reddish tint to her wings and eyes. Darrin was a soldier, his eyes a fierce shade of yellow. He was stouter and a little bit taller than Momo, and when he saw Chrys coming down he took a step forward. “You just couldn't help but get a snack in first, could you?” Darrin asked sarcastically with a smile, getting an unexpected jab in the shoulder by Momo, “W-What was that for?” he asked in mock pain. His question was ignored as Momo stepped closer to Chrysalis. Chrys jumped off Bulwark's back after he landed, and was caught off guard when Momo gave her a soft hug. “M-Momo?” Chrys asked in surprise, making no effort to free herself. “What's gotten into her?” Darrin asked impatiently, getting a small glare from the female drone. “Chrys, are you okay?” Momo asked as she looked into her clutchling's green eyes. “I, I don't know,” Chrys admitted as she glanced to the side. “Your cheeks are wet,” Momo pointed out, making the princess rub her eyes in surprise. “Highness?” Bulwark asked as Darrin took on a contemplative gaze, looking from Chrys to the pod she had just fed from. “...Did your favorite snack die?” he asked, earning a glare from all three of them that made him take a defensive step back. “What? It's a legitimate question.” “You could be nicer about it, she's clearly sad!” Momo proclaimed, getting an annoyed look from Chrys. “I'm not sad, it was just, just, unexpected,” she replied, fooling no one as Darrin frowned. “What's to be nice about?” he said coldly, “Food gets old and dies. That's just the way things are.” “Yeah, but that means there's less food for the hive,” Momo pointed out, “Right?” she asked as she looked to the princess. “Well, yes, but ... he tasted better than the others,” she said weakly, keeping the stallion's unexpected gratitude to herself. She then glanced to the pod, her chest hurting again as she did. She didn't like this pain. She didn't understand it. She wanted to know why it hurt to see that amber glow fade away. “Sorry to say, Chrys,” Darrin began as he adopted a know-it-all posture, “This is why you shouldn't get attached to your food,” he said, making Chrys hesitate as Momo stepped in between them. “Why did it die?” Momo asked, giving Chrys a concerned look. “He was old...” “Then it was simply his time,” Darrin added coldly, “It's always someone's time, sooner or later.” “It is?” Momo and Chrys asked in unison. “That's right.” He then adopted a more considering look as he glanced between them, “Chrys, don't let it bother you too much. Trust me, tomorrow, you'll forget all about it, and it won't be long before you find a new favorite, okay?” he assured, getting a weak nod from her. “Maybe, well. I don't know, I guess we'll see,” she replied in an unusually uncertain manner, making the others share brief concerned glances. “Come on, let's go to our spot, like we planned,” Chrys added, hoping to get them off this topic, getting a small smile from Darrin. “Now that's what I'm talking about! Let's get going!” he let out, moving ahead as Chrys followed, before she forced herself past him to take the lead, Bulwark and Momo sharing curious looks before following after. As the young princess continued to lead the others towards the surface, she found her thoughts constantly wandering back to the old stallion. As the tunnels started to thicken with drones at work, Chrys got on Bulwark's back. Moving through the hive, drones moved out of the way of the lumbering guard and its passenger, leaving plenty of room for Darrin and Momo to follow in their wake. As they made their way, many of the passing changelings gave the princess curious looks. Some had a fond look, while most simply saw her as an object of interest. However, there were a small number that saw her as a threat. Despite this, they all left the princess alone, protected by the queen, and by Bulwark. “You don't suppose they closed off our spot, do you?” Momo asked as she hovered around Bulwark. “I mean, the rains are coming, so they probably did,” she added as her ears fell. “It's fine,” Bulwark stated, “Made sure it wasn't sealed,” the giant replied confidently. “Good job Bulwark,“ Chrys replied, eager to distract herself from her thoughts as she gave the guard a twisted smile, “See, you can do more that just stand around and egg-sit me!” she let out as she patted him on the shoulder in a condescending manner. “Good thing too,” Darrin interjected, “This'll probably be the last time we can hang out here this year,” he pointed out, catching the princess off guard. “What? why!?” “I'm gonna be busy for the rest of the week getting the nectar stored,” Momo pointed out, giving her friends a sheepish grin. “I went and asked for too much work again,” she added, making Darrin shake his head in astonishment. “Always taking on more than you can chew," he said, getting a nod of agreement from Chrys and Bulwark. "I'm gonna be on 'hatchling' duty for the rest of the week while the rest of the soldiers help with sealing the tunnels,” he added with a sour look, making Chrys let out a long sigh. “You do know I can pull you both off of all that, right?” Chrys pointed out, getting a hesitant look from Momo. “We know,” Darrin quickly replied, “But that'd be bad.” “Why?” Chrys asked, looking a little annoyed. “We have jobs to do, Chrys,” He stated, “We can't just ditch them because you're lonely. You've got the big guy here, so you should be fine, right?” he asked, making Chrys appraise her protector with a disappointed look. “Yeah, because having this stick in the mud with me all the time is just grand,” she replied as she glanced to the side. “You could always talk to Lores,” Momo suggested, “Maybe learn something interesting?” Her eyes then widened at the idea, “Something queen-like, perhaps?” she added, and Chrys was about to poke fun at the idea, when a faded cocoon came to mind. She then paused, taking a moment to consider the option before nodding to Momo. “Actually, that wouldn't be a bad idea,” Chrys said, getting a smile from her hovering friend. “Really!? Lores will be happy to hear that!” “You're familiar with that old worm?” Darrin asked, getting a nod in return. Before he could make any further comment, the group came to a halt, seeing that the tunnel leading to their spot had already been plugged by a large stone. Plugged, but not sealed. “Bulwark!” Chrys let out in disappointment. “It's fine, Your Highness,” Bulwark replied as he kneeled down, letting his charge hop off before he moved to the boulder. With a small grunt, he dug his hooves into its side, and rolled it out of the way, letting in the light of day. Darrin let out a small whistle as Bulwark motioned to the now open passageway. “Royal guards sure are something else,” Darrin said in awe as he walked around the stone, “This must have taken four workers to move!” “Bulwark has his uses,” Chrysalis said matter-of-factly, giving the guard a small smile, which he returned. With the way open, the four of them went out onto a part of the hive reserved for the princess and those she chose, their spot. The air was cool, the wind letting out a small roar as it brushed against the canyon wall. Halfway up the wall was the raised platform the four changelings embarked upon, enjoying the hot sun overhead as their eyes took in the Badlands before them. Momo let out a pleasant sigh as she hopped into the open area, sprawling out on her back, bathing in the sun with a smile. “It's been a little cold lately,” she pointed out, 'a little cold' being a typical summer day to a pony. “Well, the rains are coming soon, so that's only natural,” Darrin pointed out as he lay down as well, taking in the sun. Chrys wanted to join them in their sunbathing, but her mind wandered as her eyes fell to the horizon beyond. Spread out beyond the cliff was a land of tan earth, scorching heat, and sparse vegetation. It was land so inhospitable, that only the changelings would dare to call it home. Anything else in The Badlands were simply monsters and small lizards. Still, to her mother, and all the members of the hive, this corner of The Badlands was home. This was their realm, where no pony would wander, no dragon would claim, and no snake would trespass. It fit the hive perfectly. To Chrysalis, all she saw was a responsibility she couldn't wrap her head around. One day, she was going to be a queen. Whether of her own hive, or a successor to her mother's, she didn't know. What she did know, was that she didn't like this view. However, she did like its company. “Something wrong, Your Highness?” Bulwark asked, getting an displeased look from the princess. “Come on Chrys, join us!” Momo let out, before looking to Bulwark, “You too big guy, this'll be the last chance we can sunbathe this season, we shouldn't squander it!” “Momo's right,” Darrin added, “Let's enjoy this while we can. Some of us have a busy week ahead.” “You make it sound like all I do is slack around and eat,” Chrys said with a raised eyebrow as she started to approach the offending drone. “I don't know about slacking, but I'm right about eating!” he declared, looking to the others, “Right?” he added, getting a small nod from Momo, while Bulwark simply glanced away. “I do not eat all the time!” Chrys let out indignantly. “What I wonder,” Darrin began as he ignored her reply, “is where you pack it all. I mean, it's not like you're getting any bigger.” “Darrin...” Momo let out warningly, which was ignored by the drone. “Maybe she's as big as she's going to be,” Darrin let out teasingly as Chrys' face darkened, “Striking terror in ponies everywhere, beware, the Midget Queen comes-” he was interrupted by said queen pouncing on him. As he had been laying prone sunbathing, he was easy pickings. Momo and Bulwark watched as Darrin tried, and failed, to free himself from the mighty Midget Queen. Once she had his ear in her teeth, he started to slam the ground with a hoof. “I give, I give!” he let out, being freed from Chrys as she adopted a confident pose. “That'll show you, lowly peon!” she said as she let out an 'evil' laugh. “As punishment for insulting your queen, you must carry me around for the rest of the day!” she commanded, getting a sigh from Darrin as he reluctantly nodded. “That's what you get for teasing her,” Momo let out as she rolled onto her belly. “Yeah yeah, and all that stuff about humble nectar,” Darrin said dismissively as Chrys motioned him to rise, getting a smile from the princess as he stood with her on his back. “Bulwark, I have a new carriage for the day, so you're free to take a break.” “Your Highness, I'm always happy to protect you,” Bulwark said, his voice carrying a level of certainty that always managed to catch Chrys off guard. “Well, I'd be happy if you left me alone for the rest of the day,” She mumbled, making the guard adopt a contemplative gaze as he looked to Darrin. “Is Mantis still out?” Bulwark asked, shifting the ambient mood around them as each of them adopted a sour look. Momo and Chrys also looked to Darrin, eager for his answer. “Yes. He's not supposed to return till tomorrow,” he replied. Being an aspiring soldier, it was natural for him to know what the general was up to. As a close clutchling to Chrys, it was only natural that he kept an eye on her biggest obstacle, and biggest threat. “Then ... I guess Darrin can take my place,” Bulwark said reluctantly, making Chrys look to him in surprise, before adopting a wide smile. “Really!? In that case, let's go!” Chrys let out as she hit Darrin in the shoulder, “Take me to Lores!” “What? Now?” he asked, getting another jab in the shoulder for his trouble. “No questions, I'm the queen and we do what I say!” she said resolutely, making Darrin roll his eyes as he waved to Momo and Bulwark. “Later Chryssy, later Darrin,” Momo let out, giving them a smile that unnerved the soldier. “Just so you know,” Darrin began as they re-entered the tunnels, “I'm going to make you regret this.” “That's not how you talk to your queen—” Chrys began, being interrupted when Darrin halted. “Chrys, we're inside again, don't call yourself that,” He quickly whispered, making Chrys's eyes widen in realization, before looking to the side, ears falling. Seeing that down look on her face made Darrin adopt a sour look, and they continued down the hall for several minutes before Chrys spoke up. “...Darrin, if I were to leave, and make my own hive, would you and Momo come with me?” she asked, getting a small chuckle from the drone. “Where's this coming from?” he asked, getting a flustered look from his princess. “I just want to know, if this is something I'm gonna do alone.” “If it came to you leaving the hive to start your own, we'd go with you, no questions asked,” he said resolutely, getting a small smile from the teal changeling. “You sound very sure of yourself.” “At this point, I think we'd end up surprising our fellow clutchlings if Momo and I left you up high and dry,” he finished, getting nothing from the young queen on his back as he continued down into the hive's bowels. “Thanks,” she murmured quietly, and being the considerate clutchling he was, he pretended to not have heard it.